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Haggerty remains neutral in key House race
October 03, 2008 |
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October 03, 2008
Haggerty remains neutral in key House race
Republican state Rep. Pat Haggerty of El Paso is taking his time in endorsing a candidate for his crucial legislative seat in the general election.
His west and Northeast El Paso district is one of the key legislative races that could help determine the fate of House Speaker Tom Craddick.
Haggerty is a vocal critic of Craddick, R-Midland and lost his GOP primary race to El Paso insurance executive Dee Margo earlier this year. It was a bruising primary battle with a lot of hot and bitter exchanges between Haggerty and Margo.
Margo recently asked Haggerty for his support against Democrat Joe Moody.
Haggerty's response: "Not at this time."
Moody also has sought out Haggerty's endorsement.
Haggerty's response: "Not at this time."
Margo can't count on the support from his fellow Republican because Haggerty views Margo as a Craddick supporter.
"The problem with Dee is the problem that we were running in the first place," Haggerty says.
Craddick's financial backers in El Paso supported Margo against the incumbent Haggerty.
Haggerty says it might be smart for him to stay out of the general election campaign.
"But if we start seeing some more lies and fairly tales, you almost have to jump in," Haggerty says.
Left unsaid is that Haggerty likely would endorse the Democrat - if he endorses anyone.
Haggerty has been a fairly popular politician in El Paso. His narrow loss to Margo was his first political defeat since entering politics in the late 1970s when he won the first of four terms on the El Paso City Council. He first won election to the state House in 1988.
Haggerty's legislative seat is in transition. What was a solid GOP district 20 years ago is now competitive for Democrats - although it's not likely they could have knocked out Haggerty.
In the primary, nearly 18,000 voters participated in the Democratic primary compared to less than 9,000 in the Republican primary.
Moody's chances of putting that district in the Democratic column "depends on whether or not Hispanics will turn out," Haggerty says.
Hispanic voters in El Paso and in other border communities turned out in massive numbers to support Hillary Clinton in the presidential primary.
Haggerty thinks it might take a visit to El Paso by Bill or Hillary Clinton to excite Hispanic voters to turn out next month. But the Obama campaign probably will want the Clintons to stay in the battleground states.
Texas Democrats desperately need to pick up Haggerty's seat for them to take over the state House. They need to turn five seats. Haggerty's district ranks among the top three or four prospects.
Posted by Gary Scharrer at October 3, 2008 12:18 PM |
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