Did the GOP blow it with their candidate for DeLay's seat?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

They've chosen a candidate to serve as a the official write-in: Houston councilwoman Shelley Sekula-Gibbs.

I think they should've just went with whoever had the shortest name. Maybe dig up some Republican in the district named Fred Smith. With the write-in process already as cumbersome as it is, I wonder how many people are going to bother to actually write in "Shelley Sekula-Gibbs" and how many mispellings there will be.

[Keystone Phil]

I used to think the same thing with long and/or confusing names but all her campaign has to do is print out labels and tell voters to stick it in where they have to usually write in the vote.

[agcatter]

I live in the 22nd.  Rock ribbed Republican district.  Doesnt matter.  This seat is long gone.  Way to go Delay - you got a little too cute.  Lampson has been on the air with commercials for about a month telling us what a fiscal conservative he is and talking about his family background.   Nothing conservative about him of course, but anyway, no way a write in with no $$ wins this.  Lampson will serve two years and then get the boot.

Given the way Delay handled his resignation and the timing, it would serve him right if the Dems took the House 218 - 217.  What a complete moron.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I used to think the same thing with long and/or confusing names but all her campaign has to do is print out labels and tell voters to stick it in where they have to usually write in the vote.

It's electronic voting, so they can't do that. The only way to write-in is to use a dial, spin it to the letter you want, hit enter, and go on to the next letter. More annoying than text messaging.

[Keystone Phil]

I used to think the same thing with long and/or confusing names but all her campaign has to do is print out labels and tell voters to stick it in where they have to usually write in the vote.

It's electronic voting, so they can't do that. The only way to write-in is to use a dial, spin it to the letter you want, hit enter, and go on to the next letter. More annoying than text messaging.

I didn't know that. That will be a fun write in.

[Sam Spade]

Yep, I lived in Harris County during the first implementation of write-in voting on the computer system.  It's really annoying.

Only chance the GOP would have had in a write-in, imo, is if uber-popular Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Paul Bettencourt had run for the seat (which he's not interested in, because he thinks it will be nearly impossible to win) or if they would have backed the Libertarian candidate (which is what I would have done in their position).  The GOP down there though has way too much self-pride to do this.

It's Likely Dem and not Safe Dem, though, because of the natural lean of the CD and that the Texas GOP is probably going to put a good chunk of change in the seat, considering that there are very few other races in Texas this year where the GOP candidate has had issues raising money, the Dem candidate actually has funds (that aren't laughable), or that are actually competitive in the final go-round.

[Sam Spade]

I should add, BRTD, that Sekula-Gibbs will be fairly well-known (for a candidate) among the hardcore GOP voting populace (not to mention hardcore voters in general) in Harris County because of her position on the City Council. 

I would say that's the reason why she was picked.  It's also the reason why Bettencourt would be an even better candidate, as he is even more known.  Remember, in this CD, the Harris County part casts the most votes and is much more GOP than the Fort Bend section.

Also today, Sugar Land mayor David Wallace dropped his write-in candidacy for the spot, meaning the Republicans should be fairly unified behind their one write-in candidate.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4131079.html

[jimrtex]

Also today, Sugar Land mayor David Wallace dropped his write-in candidacy for the spot, meaning the Republicans should be fairly unified behind their one write-in candidate.

In his announcement letter, he said that the GOP had pledged $3M if there was a single GOP-backed candidate.

The Secretary of State's office lists another write-in candidate as having filed, but I don't have any idea who he is.

[jimrtex]

I used to think the same thing with long and/or confusing names but all her campaign has to do is print out labels and tell voters to stick it in where they have to usually write in the vote.

This is specifically illegal under Texas election law.   And I think it would really piss the voting judges off if you pasted a sticker on the LCD screen of their voting devices.

In Texas, write-in candidates have to file in order to be counted.  The names are posted at the entrance to the polling place, and in each polling booth.

On the voting devices that will be used in District 22 (fortunately all 4 counties involved use the same kind), there is actually a "Write-in" box in races in which a write-in candidate has filed.  Selecting this box is just as easy as voting for another candidate.

Once you get to the write-in screen it is a little harder, but if you can get people that far, you might have a chance.

[jimrtex]

Yep, I lived in Harris County during the first implementation of write-in voting on the computer system.  It's really annoying.

I think that this ought to be challenged in court.

What rational basis does the State of Texas have to make it difficult or annoying to vote for your choice for representative?

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Bettencourt doesn't live in the district, which might hurt him in the eyes of voters from Fort Bend, Brazoria, and Galveston counties.  I think he wants to be County Judge, and his interest appears to be more in State issues.
Sekula-Gibbs does live in the district, though being a Houston city council member might have similar negative effects.

The curiousity about Sekula-Gibbs is that she ran as Shelly Rodriguez when she first ran for city council.  She was married to Sylvan Rodriguez, who you may remember as a TV newscaster in Houston, who has since died.  She had never used Rodriguez as her surname in her private or professional life (she is a doctor), and his sons were bitter about her use of the name.

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