TribBlog: Richie Defeats Barnes

Incumbent Boyd Richie easily won re-election to his seat as the chairman of the Texas Democratic Party. 

Challenger Michael Barnes, an Edcouch schoolteacher, was hoping to get a chance to shake up the party establishment. He was an underdog, but not without support. He surprised a number of people by securing the endorsement of the Hispanic caucus.

But it wasn't enough. Richie's votes outpaced Barnes' 5,891.4 to 1,555.6.

Richie, along with his wife Betty, is a popular, connected Democratic figure. If anyone wonders how involved Betty is in Richie's chairmanship, she joined him on stage for his final pre-vote speech. Richie often says that Democrats get a "two-fer" when they vote for him, but today, he praised his wife's role more colorfully: "Roosters can crow, but hens deliver."