The shocker of the day was in Harris County, where Don Sumners beat incumbent Leo Vasquez handily. I didn't see that one coming but suppose I could have if I would have thought about it for a few minutes. First off, having the surname Vasquez is not an asset in Harris County Republican politics. We have to face that fact. Second, the social cons scored some hits from his personal life not matching their ideal. And lastly, there is still a lot of resentment around the county in the wake of Paul Bettencourt's sudden resignation and Vasquez' appointment. But the margin of victory is still surprising.
My personal favorite result from the election was in County Criminal Court No. 13 where the voters saw through the fog of money and elected Don Smyth over Rachel Ann Palmer. I doubt there was another race in which the disparity in qualifications was so wide and the lesser qualified received all of the big money endorsements and old-time party backing. But the voters came through and made it a wonderful night for Lydia and Don Smyth. It does keep hope alive.
Although not as satisfying, the race for Chair of the Harris County Republican Party did show that Republican voters recognize that the problem starts with the current leadership. I've grown to like Jared Woodfill on a personal level - he's tough, smart, and tireless - but he still must be held accountable for the decline of the party. Ed Hubbard made it into a runoff and the next few weeks will be brutal on him as the Woodfill machine puts him fully in their sights. Expect it to be a fierce battle for the soul of the party, with plenty of mud coming from Lowry, Hotze, Blakemore, et. al., as they try to keep their stranglehold on the leadership.
There are many other races to comment on - Roy Morales taking advantage of his name recognition, John Faulk busting his tail to pull out a win, Fernando Herrera showing what hard work can lead to, all the way down to precinct chair races that resulted in runoffs. I'll wade through those in the next day or two.
Early voting runs April 5-9, with the election on April 13.
