Craddick draws opponent in Midland: ruling

Republicans were hoping powerful House Speaker Tom Craddick wouldn't have to spend any time or money keeping his own seat in Midland. But it looks like Midland Democrat Bill Dingus will get a chance to run against the powerful incumbent after all.

The Republican Party tried to block Dingus from mounting a campaign against Craddick because he was a member of the local city council when he announced his candidacy. But an Austin judge ruled that Dingus, whose term on the council would not overlap with a term in the Legislature, is indeed eligible to run.

In 2003, Craddick became the first Texas Republican speaker in more than 130 years. He's hoping to remain in the post when the Legislature reconvenes in January.

-- Jay Root

Comments

[sgmorr]

Run Dingus, run!

[Gary]

Craddick has spent five years demonstrating why Texans wisely went 130 years without a Republican speaker! Let's get him out and then see if we can go 230 years before the next one.

[CCboomer]

As a former Midland resident, someone who considers himself a conservative Democrat, and someone that votes primarily Republican, I am glad that Tom Craddick is challanged in his home district. He needs to learn some humility about who he represents (people of West Texas and of Texas). His strong-armed politics and bullying of fellow representatives is deplorable. I only wish that a better conservative would have run against him.

[Elizabeth]

Let's hope the folks in Midland will have sense enough to vote Craddick out this time around. When I lived in Midland, there was this lemming mentality of "vote for the conservative Republican" without ever actually looking into the candidate's background, stance, or character. Hopefully that has changed and the good voters of the Tall City will oust Craddick and bring some respect back to the Legislature.

[watcher]

It's about time someone challenged another one of the "good ole boys". Texas has not moved forward for years in it's thinking and Craddick just keeps them "barefoot and un-informed". Elected officials very often forget where they came from and what their duty is when they reach Austin. Power is an absorbing god.

[Mule]

We city dwellers in Texas need to send campaign contributions to Dingus. Notice there are no toll farm to market roads in the rural areas? Notice there are no toll roads even on the books for future construction in rural areas, with the exception of the Trans Texas Corridor? Between Craddick and Perry the contry boys drive free while the city boys pay twice.

82% of Texans live in urban areas, thereby we city dwellers generate 82% + or - of the gas taxes. Does anybody out there feel the roads outside the cities are built and maintained with 18% of the collected fuel taxes earmarked for highways? I do not mind more money going to rural highways but I want fair distribution of tax dollars. Tolls are nothing more than a hidden tax. I want the country boys to bleed equally, raise the gas tax, start an income tax, toll every road in the state or something, but all Texans should pay equally.

Mule