Campaign Chatter: Sizing Up Who's Looking Good

The Road to Victory?

A Crowded Field

Not all incumbents have an easy path forward. Some are facing hefty primary challenges from a wide range of candidates — increasing the likelihood that they won’t make it to the general without a run-off.

In Congress, U.S. Reps. Joe Barton, R-Ennis; Silvestre Reyes, D-El Paso; and Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi, each have three primary challengers. Ruben Hinojosa, D-Edinburg has four. In the state House, Reps. Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, and Jim Landtroop, R-Plainview, each have three primary opponents.

These are the congressional and legislative incumbents facing two or more challengers in their party’s primary.

Comeback Kids 

In the Texas House, 10 candidates who lost in 2010 are seeking another chance. Some of them were defeated in primaries, others in the general. At least one — former Houston Rep. Al Edwards — is battling the same opponent — current Houston Rep. Borris Miles — for the fourth time. And because of redistricting, some former lawmakers who served alongside one another are now facing off.

Like former Reps. Paula Pierson and Chris Turner, both Arlington-based Democrats who lost their respective races in the 2010 general election. They’re now competing in the Democratic primary for HD-101. 

Here are the candidates who are back to the races. 

In other campaign-related news... 

• Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst's bid for U.S. Senate has received the support of six former Dallas County Republican Party chairmen — every chairman since 1980. Meanwhile, former ESPN analyst Craig James, one of Dewhurst's opponents, has earned the endorsement of former Dallas Cowboys legend Daryl "Moose" Johnston. Johnston had previously endorsed former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, yet another Republican candidate in the Senate field.  
• James has been busy; he announced this week that he'll be traveling the state in support of Republican presidential candidate and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum. The other Republican in the Senate campaign field, Ted Cruz, began airing two radio ads this week, the campaign's first paid media buy. 
• State Rep. Rodney Anderson, R-Grand Prairie, has endorsed Rep. Kelly Hancock, R-Fort Worth, in the race for SD-9. Anderson dropped out of that race last week. The other Republican in that primary is Bedford Rep. Todd Smith.
• Fort Worth City Council member Kathleen Hicks, a Democrat, joined the already crowded field for CD-33. That makes 11 Democrats running in that primary, including Fort Worth state Rep. Marc Veasey. 
• The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association PAC has endorsed Sugar Land businessman Lee Duggan III for HD-85, which includes all of Wharton and Jackson counties and part of Fort Bend County. Whoever wins the Republican primary will face off against former Democratic state Rep. Dora Olivo in the general election. The PAC also endorsed Republican Alan Ritter for HD-21.
• Attorney Jessica Siegel was arrested at the Montgomery County Republican Party headquarters on Friday after filing to run for 418th State District Court Judge. She was charged with a state jail felony for allegedly tampering with a government record — and has been accused of falsifying the length of time that she has lived in the county. She was released on bail, and is still fighting to get back on the ballot. 
• In a strange story out of Weslaco, a Democratic candidate for state representative, Joseph Campos, listed a Republican candidate for state representative, Joel De los Santos, as his campaign treasurer. The two candidates also put the same home address on their paperwork. They are running to replace Democratic Weslaco Rep. Armando "Mando" Martinez. De los Santos told the Rio Grande Guardian he has no idea why his name and address are on Campos' filings. 
• Comptroller Susan Combs has endorsed Rep. David Simpson, R-Longview, in his race for HD-7. He's facing off against former Republican Rep. Tommy Merritt, whom he defeated in the primary in 2010. She also endorsed Rep. Wayne Christian, R-Center, for HD-9. 
• Bob Hall, who filed to run against Sen. Bob Deuell, R-Greenville, but was disqualified over residency questions, told the Tyler Morning Telegraph he is considering legal action to get back on the ballot. But the paper reported there are further residency questions being raised over a vote he cast in a 2008 election in Florida.