Hi. I hope this hasnt been diaried but another Dem pickup in a special election in a REPUBLICAN leaning district that Bush killed us in last year.
more good news. this may be the year of CHANGE.
Upset Austin win gives hope to Democrats
By JOHN MORITZSTAR-TELEGRAM AUSTIN BUREAUAUSTIN -
An upset victory this week by a Democrat in an Austin state House district that awarded President Bush 60 percent of its vote in 2004 is giving the out-of-power party hope that it can pick off another Republican-held seat this month in the special election to replace former Grand Prairie Rep. Ray Allen.
Democrat Katy Hubener, a community activist who came within 2,000 votes of beating Allen in 2004, is battling Republican Kirk England, the son of Grand Prairie Mayor Charles England, and Libertarian Gene Freeman in the special election that will be settled Feb. 28. Early voting in the District 106 race began Monday and ends Feb. 24.
Political operatives in both parties agreed that voters in the Republican-leaning district in Austin were receptive to the message advanced by Democrat Donna Howard that GOP leaders in the Capitol have failed to deliver the promised school finance overhaul and that voters have grown weary of the campaign fundraising scandals personified by Republican U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay.
"You can't discount what happened in Austin when you look at the Grand Prairie seat," said consultant Bill Miller, a close ally of Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick. "Anyone who thinks it's a big edge [to be the candidate of the party in power] is mistaken."
Democratic consultant Kelly Fero, an adviser to Howard and Hubener, said voters are dissatisfied with the results of full Republican control of state government. The GOP has an 85-64 majority in the Texas House, and the party controls the state Senate and all statewide offices.
"The message this year is change," Fero said. "Voters are fed up with what they perceive as their representatives being more concerned toeing the party line than taking care of the business important to their constituents. Donna was able to tap into that, and I think Katy will too."
There are similarities between the campaign that just ended in Austin and the one in full swing in Grand Prairie and part of Irving. Both are considered swing districts that lean Republican. Bush ran extremely well in both in 2004, as did Republican Gov. Rick Perry in 2002. And the Republican incumbents in both districts, who won narrow re-election campaigns in 2004, resigned with a full year remaining on their terms so they could take jobs as Austin lobbyists.
The Austin district is more white-collar and affluent; the Grand Prairie district is more blue-collar and diverse. The Republicans in the special election campaigns are businessmen with ties to the political establishment. The Democrats are women who come from education backgrounds and have histories of grassroots activism.
Austin consultant Ted Delisi, who ran the unsuccessful campaign of Republican Ben Bentzin against Howard, agreed that the fundraising scandals and problems in fixing the state's school finance system gave the Democrats an opening. But he predicted that Republicans will hold the Grand Prairie seat because voters there are more conservative than those in Austin.
"The liberal base in Grand Prairie, if there is such a thing, cannot be compared with the liberal base in Austin," Delisi said.
England, an insurance executive who is making his first run for public office, agreed.
"This is a working-class community, and this is a community-based campaign," he said. "I'm not one of those partisan persons. I'm interested in representing an area where I've lived my whole life."
Hubener, a partner in a real estate firm who was an advocate for clean air before entering politics two years ago, agreed that local issues are more important than matters such as the DeLay indictment. But she also said voters are disillusioned with the partisan rancor in the Republican-led Legislature.
"The people want an independent voice," she said. "The schools are falling apart, property taxes are skyrocketing and insurance rates are through the roof. It's time for a leadership change in Austin."