Besides the stuff you know about there is this:
It was also a very bad night for squishy Republicans, like House Speaker Joe Straus. And a downright miserable one for Mr. Straus’ own state senator, the newly-defeated Jeff Wentworth.
The Texas Legislature has been vastly improved with this primary election cycle, and last night only cemented conservative gains. Of the state legislative races, the biggest run-off news was conservative-champion Dr. Donna Campbell defeating liberal incumbent Jeff Wentworth by a two-to-one margin.
One quick lesson for Republicans in the Texas House: the closer they stand to Speaker Straus and his henchmen – like State Reps. Charlie Geren and Jim Keffer – the more likely they are to lose.
Two more Straus committee chairmen (Sid Miller and Chuck Hopson) lost re-election, joining the three Straus chairs who lost in the first round of primary voting.
In the open-seats, Straus-friendly candidates fell like flies.
A bit of explanation is in order here I think.
Two sessions ago the Texas House of Representatives was a closely divided body with 76 Rs and 74 Ds. The speaker of that body, a staunch conservative though somewhat heavy handed in his leadership style man named Tom Craddick was ousted when a number of supposed Rs conspired with the minority Ds to elect a RINO named Joe Straus as speaker and thus the house has since labored under the leadership of a speaker elected largely by the minority party there.
EVERY ONE of the Rs who were a party to that have now had their hats handed to them by the voters in their districts!
Bigun,
What a great night in Texas. I don’t think a lot of Freepers
realize the RINO Bloodbath that happened in Texas.
Texas Roadkill!
But will all that be enough to dump Straus in January as Speaker ?