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2008 Elections

Months before the deadline for filing for legislative offices (that deadline is January 2, 2008), the election season is already heating up, with some events having a direct and significant impact on the House Public Education Committee.

House Public Education member Anna Mowery (R-Fort Worth) resigned her legislative seat effective August 31. Speaker Tom Craddick subsequently appointed freshman Rep. Nathan Macias (R-Bulverde) to fill the vacancy on that committee; Macias is also a member of the House Pensions and Investments Committee, which has authority over TRS issues.

Rep. Dianne Delisi, a 9-term veteran of the legislature with extensive involvement in education issues, surprised Capitol insiders this week when she announced her intention not to seek re-election in 2008. Rep. Delisi, a 2007 TCTA Legislative Star and a member of the Public Education Committee for the past two legislative sessions, will serve out the remainder of her term.

Former House member Bill Keffer (R-Dallas), who was a Public Education Committee member in the 2005-06 regular and special sessions, will be vying for his old seat against freshman Rep. Allen Vaught (D-Dallas). Vaught defeated Keffer in a hotly contested race last fall. During his time on the education committee Keffer authored HB 3393, one of the more onerous proposals of the 2005 legislative session; the bill would have severely restricted teacher rights with regard to contract nonrenewals.

In a move that delighted some and stunned others, Rep. Kirk England of Grand Prairie, elected in 2006 as a Republican, announced his intention to seek re-election as a Democrat. England had narrowly defeated Democratic challenger Katy Hubener, and it is not yet known whether Hubener will challenge England in the Democratic primary.

A handful of other Republican legislators, including veteran Fred Hill of Richardson and freshman Mike O’Day of Pearland, have also announced their intention not to run for re-election in 2008.

Impact on House leadership

The turnover in the House, if this trend continues, is likely to affect speaker politics for the 2009 session. Several legislators who have supported current speaker Tom Craddick in previous sessions are not returning, and more will be challenged in the 2008 elections. Craddick himself has not yet announced whether he intends to run for re-election to his legislative seat and the speaker’s chair for the next session, but most observers at this point are predicting his return. There is speculation that Republicans will be seeking opponents for sitting Republican legislators who do not support Craddick; some also expect to see Democrats attempting to oust some of the Democratic lawmakers who are loyal to Craddick. These are battles that would be fought in the March primaries.

With the resignation of Mowery (the special election to fill the vacancy will be held in November), the partisan composition of the House stands at 79 Republicans and 70 Democrats. Any significant changes in the number of seats held by either party would certainly impact the election of the House speaker in the ensuing legislative session.

Two factors could have a significant effect on voting patterns and turnout in the March primary and general election:

Presidential races generally draw more voters to the polls, and increased turnout can change the overall demographics of the voting populace. Then again, dissatisfaction with the Republican or Democratic presidential nominees could also have a stifling effect in November for one or both of the parties, significantly impacting down-ballot races.

Educators in particular should strongly consider taking advantage of early voting, as the March primary is being held on Tuesday, March 4 – a TAKS testing day. Early voting will take place February 19-29, and TCTA will provide information on early voting locations as it becomes available.

Web posted: 09/21/07