District Ninety-Sizzle: Say Whaaaa???
I didn't believe Democrat Dan Barrett's early lead over Republican Mark Shelton in House District 97 would hold. I mean, that Southwest Fort Worth district is still considered Republican, and with the field narrowed down to two, I thought (perhaps naively) that "Craddick vs anti-Craddick" was no longer a factor in the race.
Now, 100% of precincts are back, and the anti-Craddick Democrat ACTUALLY WON. Barrett is likely helped by good turnout for a city council runoff, which was also on the ballot.
You can bet the Texas Democratic Party is gloating. I already recieved this from State Party Chair Boyd Richie:
Dan Barrett won in a district drawn by Republicans to elect a Republican, and his victory is a slap in the face to Speaker Tom Craddick and the failed Republican leadership in this state. Voters have sent a message that they are tired of "business as usual" in Austin and want leaders who will replace the pay-to-play politics of the Republican Party with a state government that works for all Texans.Of course, Dan Barrett only ran to run again next year (Mowery stepped down before completing her term). But being an incumbent always helps.
Preliminary results are here.
Star-Telegram coverage is here.
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