But it’s true, no getting around it. So what? Democratic candidates were given the exact same opportunity to be there and chose not to, for whatever reason. I hope that people that participate in Tea Party events remember that come election time. It says more about the character of Democratic candidates than it does Tea Parties.
And the event itself was a smashing success. I’ve no idea how many people actually attended but it was a lot. A quick review of the results shows that 273 votes were cast in the governor’s race, so I’ll take that as an official indicator of the turnout. I’d be that most uniformed people will be surprised with the results of that race:
| Candidate | Result |
| Rick Perry | 114 (41.8{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986}) |
| Kay Bailey Hutchison | 80 (29.3{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986}) |
| Debra Medina | 79 (28.9{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986}) |
I’d bet that most pundits thought that Mrs. Medina would win it hands down because all Tea Party attendees are mind-numbed crackerjacks.
And in the much anticipated race for Harris County Republican Chair, I’d bet more than a few are surprised at this result:
| Candidate | Result |
| Paul Simpson | 97 (39.3{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986}) |
| Ed Hubbard | 88 (35.6{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986}) |
| Jared Woodfill | 55 (22.3{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986}) |
| Don Large | 7 (2.8{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986}) |
That Paul Simpson won isn’t the shocker – he has built a great campaign team, had twice the funds on hand as of the 30 day out report, and is an avid Tea Party fan. And I’m guessing that Mr. Hubbard is pleased with the results as well and would welcome a runoff in the real election results. The big shocker is that incumbent Woodfill was so far behind and that, in total, almost 80{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986} of the participants recognize that the leadership must be changed if the party is to move forward. And it is important to remember that many of the people that voted are candidates and stalwart, long-time party members. What an awesome result and, hopefully, an indicator of a change in leadership at the HCRP. Would that be a bright day for Harris County Republicans or what?
But it isn’t over yet. Mr. Woodfill’s investment in Terry Lowry’s Link Letter will be hitting the mailboxes of the bluehairs this week and it will be interesting to read the smears he’s purchased. My advice to Mr. Simpson and Mr. Hubbard – don’t sit on your laurels, you have a lot of work to do yet. And get the lye soap out to wash off the Lowry slime. It might hurt a little but in the end, you’re the good guys, so keep that in mind.
Believe it or not, one candidate completely disregarded the rules for the event, didn’t purchase a table and then set up shop inside the event passing out his disinformation for all to see. Don Sumners’ boorish behavior is an example of the type of person that we need to be certain is NOT elected to ANY position in Harris County under the Republican label. He makes everyone look bad! And when you look at the vote totals, it is clear that he and Mr. Woodfill share the same base – it isn’t a coincidence that one received 55 votes and the other 54. In the words of Gov. Perry, adios mofo!
Be sure and check out the rest of the results. Great job by the Houston Tea Party Society.
