Chet Edwards is one of the primary targets of Tom Delay's redistricting campaign. His former district (11th) consisted primarily of Waco and Temple/Killeen/Fort Hood. But with redistricting, his base of support was effectively split in two, with Waco in the new 17th district and Temple/Killeen/Fort Hood in the 11th. Earlier this year, Edwards decided to seek re-election in the new 17th district. The new 17th district keeps McClennan county (Waco) intact, but adds other predominantly rural areas, and College Station, home of Texas A&M.
http://www.chetedwards.com/http://www.arleneforcongress.com/This makes the new district substantially more Republican than Edwards' old one, but if anyone can pull it out, he can. Chet Edwards is an experienced, moderate Dem with good committees in the house. He is probably the best potential candidate we have for Texas Senate in 2006 (I think Kay-Bailey is retiring). His opponent, State Senator Arlene Wohlgemuth, is positively EVIL. Read her platform if you want to see why. WARNING, may cause you to :puke:
She is not the type of person I want in the United States House of Representatives.
Or read this article:
http://www.texasobserver.org/showArticle.asp?ArticleID=685"The primary polls had been closed for just an hour on March 12 in Johnson County, and the third floor of the county courthouse in Cleburne already was packed with politicos, lawyers, party regulars, reporters, and political gadflies. It was standing-room-only in the 249th District courtroom, where precinct-by-precinct results were being projected on a large screen. A television nearby blared statewide coverage. Those who couldn’t find a seat pushed up the aisles or, between updates, circulated outside, sharing the latest gossip. Others moved across to the 18th District courtroom, where there was more breathing room."
...
"Bridewell wasn’t alone. County Judge Roger Harmon, a three-term officeholder, and former Burleson Mayor Rick Roper, a candidate for county commissioner, had also been targeted, along with District 22 State Senate candidate Kip Averitt. An official resolution of the Johnson county GOP was printed on the back of a Wohlgemuth flier and sent to every Republican voter in the county. It declared that the "beliefs and background" of all candidates must "mirror the principles" of the party’s state and national platforms. The election of the scorned candidates would be a "detriment to the county, and therefore the Party as well," the resolution said. It was followed a few days later by a flood of ads railing against the four, full of veiled hints, half-truths, and innuendo, and admonishing the faithful that Republican "values" must be upheld."
...
"Yet Wohlgemuth may have burned some bridges in her home base as well. Supporters of Pct. 2 Commissioner Ron Harmon are also angry. Harmon (no relation to the County Judge), a Burleson Republican, resigned from the commissioners court reportedly to run for Wohlgemuth’s House seat, after she announced plans last summer to run for Congress. When U.S. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Ennis) managed to hold onto the county after redistricting, however, Wohlgemuth decided to run for her old seat instead. Harmon was the odd man out, and Arlene apparently didn’t do much to cushion his fall. His supporters want revenge. "She turned her back on Ron," said one, who asked not to be identified for fear of raising Wohlgemuth’s wrath. "She isn’t the good Christian she wants everyone to think she is, she’s a ruthless, ambitious bitch."
This is the face of the enemy:
Study it well, that you may come to know it.
It will be tough for Edwards to pull out a win, but it is possible and he has a fighting chance... So that's the story for TX 17...
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