Posted on 05/18/2004 6:08:08 AM PDT by Theodore R.
Cheney plans local stop for Neugebauer BY JOHN REYNOLDS AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
Vice President Dick Cheney will come to the Hub City next month to stump for U.S. Rep. Randy Neugebauer, Lubbock County's Republican Party chairman said Monday.
Cheney's vis it has been tentatively set for June 11, Robert Pratt said. A venue for the fund-raiser has not yet been agreed upon.
"I'm so humbled and flattered," Neugebauer said. "It shows the strong support we have from the White House."
Cheney's appearance will mark the second time he has campaigned in the Lubbock Republican's district in six months. Cheney attended a Neugebauer fund-raiser in De cember in Abilene.
Neugebauer will face Rep. Charlie Stenholm, D-Abilene, in November for the reconfigured District 19 seat.
Neugebauer won a razor-thin runoff election in June 2003 to succeed Larry Combest, R-Lubbock, who retired.
Stenholm, in his last re-election in Novem ber 2002, narrowly defeated a GOP former member of the Abilene City Council for the District 17 seat. Stenholm has served in the House since 1979.
District 19 and District 17 were combined when the Legislature redrew congressional district lines last year.
"As we move forward with the agenda for West Texas," Neugebauer said, "it's important to be a part of the majority party and to have a relationship with the party chairman and the White House."
Pratt said he wasn't surprised by the attention paid to the race by the national Re publican Party.
"We expected (Cheney)," he said. "This is just an incredibly important race.
"This will be the only congressman in the country the administration is planning to have the vice president visit twice," he added.
Pratt said he wanted to keep tickets to the event cheap so more people will be able to attend. He hoped to keep the cost of admission to about $25.
Neugebauer hoped to open the doors to as many supporters as possible.
"You know we want to showcase West Texas to the vice president," he said.
Information on ticket purchases will not be released for at least a week. Because of heightened security, the number of tickets will be limited. Also, ticket buyers should expect to present some form of identification.
john.reynolds@lubbockonline.com 766-8725
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