There have been plenty of times when the primary winner dies before the general election, and nobody thinks much about it when a replacement is named.
This is only slightly different in that DeLay made himself ineligible for election. I guess he could just shoot himself. That would make the DUmmies happy.
Now, that would be taking one for the team!
Yes, nominees can be replaced if they die or become disabled prior to a general election. But they cannot be replaced (under the old rules, which may or may not apply here) if they merely withdraw from the race, which is what DeLay did. He did not research thoroughly what could happen if he bailed out prematurely.
You know as well as I do that the Texas Election Code allows for the replacement of a candidate who dies before the election.