Free Republic

District 19 foes come out swinging BY CORY CHANDLER AVALANCHE-JOURNAL The claws came out over redistricting during Tuesday's District 19 congressional debate. While the first face-to-face meeting between three District 19 candidates provided an arena for sparring over several issues, Tuesday's debate got heated after Democrat Charlie Stenholm was asked for his thoughts on the state's new congressional district map. Republican Randy Neugebauer, Stenholm, and Libertarian Chip Peterson met in Texas Tech's Allen Theatre for the first of two debates. The candidates fielded nine questions spanning Social Security, defense, agriculture and other issues. Stenholm scored the night's first outburst of...

Stenholm’s ad with Bush fans flames of District 19 race D. LANCE LUNSFORD AVALANCHE-JOURNAL One of the hottest congressional races in Texas became even hotter Thursday as lawyers from the Republican National Committee unleashed a furious letter to Rep. Charlie Stenholm, D-Abilene, for placing President Bush in one of his campaign advertisements. Stenholm, a 25-year congressman, faces incumbent Rep. Randy Neugebauer, R-Lubbock, and Lubbock Libertarian Richard ‘‘Chip’’ Peterson for the 19th Congressional District seat. Stenholm, who currently represents District 17, and Neugebauer were pitted against each other under Texas’ new congressional map. ‘‘This campaign stands by our ad,’’ said Jodi...

Cheney extols Neugebauer on Stenholm's turf By JOHN FUQUAY AVALANCHE-JOURNAL ABILENE — Vice President Dick Cheney was in the hometown of an incumbent Democrat on Friday touting the president's record and urging voters to support Republican Rep. Randy Neugebauer of Lubbock. Cheney's appearance at a fund-raiser for the freshman representative was a brazen campaign move on turf represented for the past 24 years by U.S. Rep. Charlie Stenholm, D-Abilene. Stenholm and Neugebauer were thrown into the same congressional district during this year's raucous redistricting battle initiated by GOP members to increase Republican seats in Washington. "My main concern is to...

Congressional candidates air similar views Area chambers hold forum By JOHN FUQUAY AVALANCHE-JOURNAL The two candidates for District 19 U.S. representative struck a similar chord Tuesday in a live television forum, each one sounding like a conservative Republican with interests in agriculture, energy and job creation. Both Randy Neugebauer, R-Lubbock, and Mike Conaway, R-Midland, came away sounding knowledgable but also in agreement on issues of taxation, local control over water and education, homeland security and other issues. The candidates competing to succeed U.S. Rep. Larry Combest, R-Lubbock, appeared at a forum featuring one panelist each from the Lubbock, Midland, Odessa...

Early voting turnout low for runoff BY HEIDI TOTH AVALANCHE-JOURNAL If early voter turnout is any indication, the next U.S. representative of District 19 will be chosen by a small percentage of the district. The June 3 runoff election between Republicans Randy Neugebauer of Lubbock and Mike Conaway of Midland is the final step of a six-month campaign to replace U.S. Rep. Larry Combest, R-Lubbock, who is resigning May 31 after 18 years representing District 19. Lubbock County, which includes the largest metropolitan area in the district, counted 4,594 early voters of more than 140,000 registered voters, according to the...

Legislative plan seeks shake-up of District 19 Texas House proposal aims to boost GOP in Congress By SEBASTIAN KITCHEN AVALANCHE-JOURNAL With the influence of political gerrymandering in Washington, state legislators are considering drastically altering districts throughout Texas, including District 19, to create more Republicans in Congress. But legislators from Lubbock vow to fight for West Texas representation and keep three U.S. congressmen. Congressional District 19, which now includes Lubbock and 18 other counties, would be drastically altered and would stretch from the border with New Mexico to Jack County — just north of Mineral Wells — almost 300 miles away....

Conaway, Neugebauer in runoff By JOHN FUQUAY AVALANCHE-JOURNAL Republicans Randy Neuge bauer of Lubbock and Mike Conaway of Midland finished first and second, respectively, in Saturday's race for Congress and will meet in a runoff for the District 19 seat. With all precincts reporting, state Rep. Carl Isett finished third. Neugebauer, 53, is a land developer and took 22.3 percent of the vote. Conaway, 54, is a certified public accountant and received 21.2 percent. Isett, R-Lubbock, won 18.9 percent of the vote, and former Lubbock Mayor David Langston, who switched from the Democratic Party before the campaign to run as...

Neugebauer, Isett lead fund raising By JOHN FUQUAY AVALANCHE-JOURNAL In the race to represent District 19 in the U.S. Congress, the top eight campaigns — in terms of fund raising — have raised almost $2 million, according to recent financial disclosures. Campaign strategists — independent ones and those connected to campaigns — have said the seat being vacated by Larry Combest, R-Lubbock, likely would take mid- to upper-six figures to win. So far, five of 17 candidates have campaign funds eclipsing $100,000. Randy Neugebauer, R-Lubbock, is the leading fund-raiser with $604,515; however, $150,000 of his total is money he loaned...

Congressional candidate Bell sounds alarm over selling of water By SEBASTIAN KITCHEN AVALANCHE-JOURNAL One congressional candidate said West Texas will dry up and blow away if people are not stopped from harvesting area water, selling it and shipping the product downstate. "If they do, they literally steal our future out from under us," said John D. Bell. Bell stood in front of a waterfall at Canyon Lakes as he addressed West Texas water issues during a Wednesday afternoon news conference. The Kermit Republican is one of 17 candidates vying to replace Larry Combest, R-Lubbock, as the District 19 representative. A...

District 19 candidates weigh in on agriculture, energy issues By JOHN FUQUAY AVALANCHE-JOURNAL Part of a continuing series The old U.S. Congressional District 19 had more grassland territory on the sun-drenched caprock, and the soon-to-be-retiring congressman representing the district was a member of the House Agriculture Committee. In fact, Larry Combest, R-Lubbock, served for a term as the committee's chairman. But the new district, redrawn after the 2000 census, shifted south, losing the farmland that extended to the Oklahoma border and gaining oil fields in Midland, Ector, Winkler, Loving and other counties. The district's next representative will inherit the ag...

Pair dominates District 19 fund raising By JOHN FUQUAY AVALANCHE-JOURNAL In a wide-open race for the congressional seat to represent Lubbock in Washington, two candidates are beginning to distinguish themselves from a dozen or so others — at least in terms of fund raising. Randy Neugebauer, R-Lubbock, has raised about $450,000, and Mike Conaway, R-Midland, has surpassed $200,000, according to representatives from both campaign camps. In the most recent campaign finance reporting period, state Rep. Carl Isett and Texas Tech law professor Vickie Sutton were the only other candidates to declare contributions. Both candidates are Republicans from Lub- bock. Thirteen...