TX Primary Thread - March 7, 2006

[Q]

What a crappy rule (on the collection of signatures for independent candidates).  Boo on Texas for that and for its insanely early primary.

[Sam Spade]

What a crappy rule (on the collection of signatures for independent candidates).  Boo on Texas for that and for its insanely early primary.

I guarantee that if either Kinky or Strayhorn does not reach the required signature number by May 11, there will be another lawsuit to contest the rule's legality, much as Ralph Nader did in 2004.

The challenge will be presented under the same three arguments that Nader did:  That the early deadline is unnecessary and discriminatory; that the amount of signatures required is discriminatory; and that the schedule for gathering signatures (60 days for Independents compared to 75 days for third parties) is discriminatory.

And it will probably get nowhere, as it did then.

My opinion is that it the rule is ridiculous.  But it also makes things interesting.

However, the rule has simply been around for quite a long while and I  personally see neither Democrats nor Republicans interested in getting rid of it for the future.

[Sam Spade]

I think that there might be a mistake in the Hidalgo County numbers reporting in the Democrat primary; the numbers they're reporting having voted with only one precinct reporting seem way too high for early voting numbers.

[Sam Spade]

I think that there might be a mistake in the Hidalgo County numbers reporting in the Democrat primary; the numbers they're reporting having voted with only one precinct reporting seem way too high for early voting numbers.

Numbers have gotten more reasonable now.  They had 1 precinct reporting and over 5% turnout, now it's up to 51 precincts (36%) and we're up to 8%-9% turnout.

[Yates]

Where can one view the results as they are reported?

[nini2287]

Where can one view the results as they are reported?

http://204.65.107.70/

[Yates]

Thank you.

[Sarnstrom]

This site is faster:

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/elections/2006/by_state/TX_Page_0307.html?SITE=TXDAMELN&SECTION=POLITICS

[Yates]

Thank you, Sarnstrom.

It appears that Chris Bell has been projected the Democratic nominee for Governor of Texas.

[Sam Spade]

Bumping this thread up.  I will make my commentary on the big primaries and the smaller state House and Senate races either tonight or tomorrow, when I get the time.

There were a number of interesting things in the smaller races that I'd like to point out for those who really care about Texas politics (all three of us)  .

[minionofmidas]

DeLay got 62%.

[Sam Spade]

DeLay got 62%.

Yep. 

The DeLay race is a pure tossup; Lampson has raised money very well (as I expected), but since so much of it has come from out-of-state liberals and Hollywood types, DeLay will play this for all it's worth in this CD which is still 60%-40% Republican (shifting Democrat slowly) and includes a lot of conservative suburban types.  Stockman is, of course, the wildcard, depending on whether he runs or not.

Anyway, I had it in my mind before the primary that he if he broke 60% in this four-way race, he was still much stronger than a lot here might think.  I still hold by that.

A lot can change before the real elections, though.