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Streusand: Not running negative campaign

By ARTHUR HAHN/Managing Editor Tuesday, March 23, 2004 1:24 PM CST

Ben Streusand rejects claims of his U.S. House runoff opponent that he is conducting a "negative campaign."

Streusand was here Monday for a campaign stop, first meeting with a handful of supporters at the courthouse and then hosting a dinner at a local restaurant.

He is locked in a runoff with Mike McCaul for the U.S. House District 10 seat, an election that is shaping up as the most expensive House race in the country.

Streusand and McCaul have spent more than $2.6 million on the race, most of it their own money.

Streusand said McCaul has questioned his "Republican credentials."

"I'll gladly put my Republican credentials against his any day of the week," said Streusand, who pointed out that he has long been involved in the GOP, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for party candidates that have included President Bush.

Streusand, who runs a Houston mortgage company, has pumped more than $1.3 million of his own money into his campaign, according to the latest campaign finance reports filed in February.

McCaul has put at least $650,000 into his own campaign.

Streusand has spent more of his own money on his campaign than any other congressional candidate in the nation and McCaul ranks third, according to the campaign finance disclosures.

Streusand said it is necessary to spend large amounts of money because of the size of the district, which stretches from Travis County to Harris County.

"There is no general election (Democrats didn't field a candidate), so most of the money is going to be spent on the primary," he said. "Plus, the district has two of the most expensive media markets in the country in Houston and Austin."

Streusand said McCaul has campaigned "virtually in one county," his home Travis County.

Streusand received 28 percent of the vote to McCaul's 24 percent, but since neither got more than 50 percent, they were forced into a runoff that will be held April 13.

Streusand announced Monday that he has picked up the endorsement of the third-place finisher in the primary, Judge John Devine. Devine got 21 percent of the votes.

Devine, who was with Streusand on his campaign stops here, said McCaul is "a government lawyer, for crying out loud."

McCaul is a former federal prosecutor who resigned last year to run for office.

Devine said he decided to back Streusand because of his business experience.

"He's had to manage budgets. He's created jobs," said Devine.

Devine said he met with both Streusand and McCaul and "evaluated their positions on key issues."

"I strongly believe Ben will be a representative for the entire district," he said.