District 97 Republicans don't mention Craddick's name

Star-Telegram columnist Bud Kennedy had these observations after seeing the candidates for House District 97 Wednesday at the Fort Worth Club:

The Republican candidates for Texas House District 97 were back on the campaign stump Wednesday, a month after Democrat Dan Barrett won the seat in a special election.

Holdovers Bob Leonard, James Schull and Mark Shelton mostly repeated the same introductions from the fall campaign. Newcomer Clint Roberts joined them in differing over school vouchers.

Leonard opposes vouchers. Shelton repeated his support for vouchers for students in failing schools. Roberts, a former schoolteacher now working in finance, said he would support some vouchers.

Nobody mentioned the name of House Speaker Tom Craddick. But Leonard blamed "leadership" for Republicans losing seats in the House, and said he wants to "stop the slide."

Schull, a Benbrook City Council member, called the debate over the speaker the "800-pound gorilla in the room," then said he would not take a position on keeping Craddick as speaker.

UPDATE: Clint Roberts told Bud Kennedy that we misstated his stance on vouchers. He said he is against "universal vouchers" but would be "open to ideas" for specific voucher plans and does not rule them out.