Posted on by Dick

Lampson running for Texas CD14, says Beaumont TV station site

Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Nick Lampson will run for Congress in a district with boundaries similar to the one he served, says the Website of Beaumont TV station KFDM Channel 6. The story noted that Lampson will file Monday in Austin although he has not confirmed information from the station’s sources.

Perhaps, finally, a Democrat coming home where he belongs--in Congress

Lampson, 66, was elected Jefferson County Tax Assessor-Collector in 1976 and served in that office for 19 years. He won the 9th congressional district seat in 1996 defeating controversial conservative Steve Stockman in an open primary runoff. The district included his hometown of Beaumont as well as Galveston and a portion of Houston. Lampson was reelected three terms but his district was gerrymandered prior to the 2004 election, moving the part of Houston which included NASA into Tom DeLay’s district and replacing it with heavily Republican areas to the north and east of Houston. Houston district court judge Ted Poe defeated Lampson during that election and that is how, when I moved back to Beaumont in 2005, I wound up with Poe as my congressman. It still stings to say that.

Since that time Poe, whom I think would rather represent Arizona border areas that would keep him on Fox News when he wasn’t “legislating,” has not faced any serious challenges. That has been much to my, and other non-right wingers, despair.

Lampson ran again in 2006. But it was for the 22nd congressional district spot held by much-troubled Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who wisely chose not to seek reelection again. Lampson left his Jefferson County home to run for the seat, moving to Sugar Land in Fort Bend County. He was defeated in the massive incumbent toss in 2008.

The ghost of Mr. Gerry has taken another turn — thanks to a Republican majority in the Texas Lege — albeit so confusing at this point that thinking about it might make my head explode. The gist of it is that Beaumont has been drawn into to Ron Paul’s congressional district. Dr. Paul is not going to run for reelection because he will be president. Yeah. And I think I see a pig’s butt flying over. The new CD 14 will include Paul’s base of Brazoria County, encompass Galveston county including the Bolivar Peninsula as well as Jefferson County and perhaps, or not, a smidgen of Harris County. If by now you do not know that Beaumont, Lampson’s hometown, is Jefferson County seat then either I have confused you well or there is no hope for you.

No Democrats have filed for the CD 14 primary election, so far. Republican candidates who have filed:

  • Bill Sargent, Chief Deputy Clerk of Elections in Galveston County, web developer, retired lieutenant commander, USNR, former congressional staffer. Moved to Galveston in 2004 from Virginia. Obviously not BOI.

I am unsure of any Libertarian or Green party candidates, if any, who have filed. Thursday had been the last day to file for a place on the ballot for the March 6, 2012, primary election. However, a deal developed by the state Democrat and Republican parties to avoid multiple primaries would move the primary to April 3, if a three-judge panel in San Antonio agrees. To find out the latest on filings and elections, go to the VoteTexas.org Website, from the Texas Secretary of State.

The Republicans may just have themselves an interesting primary for CD 14. We shall see what happens on the Dem front.

 

 

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