Texas House likely to become less Republican, more inexperienced

[sonias]

AAS 4/1/12

Texas House likely to become less Republican, more inexperienced

Last month at the Austin headquarters of the Republican Party of Texas, a nervous-looking state Rep. J.M. Lozano of Kingsville stood with his young family beside some the state's most prominent Republican figures. Lozano announced he was joining their team, becoming a Republican. At that very point, the reigning party in Texas reached its high-water mark in the Texas House with 102 members in the 150-person chamber.

But, by most accounts, the party won't enjoy the atmospherically high numbers very long. Most everyone agrees that Republicans will lose seats in the November election, although the smaller majority could end up being more conservative than ever. And at the same time, thanks to numerous retirements and a large turnover in 2010, the chamber could be the least experienced in decades.

Chris Elam, a spokesman for the Republican Party of Texas, said he expects Republicans to number in the mid-90s. The Texas Democratic Party sees 84 Republicans and 66 Democrats.

Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University, splits the difference, projecting a Republican count closer to 90. He said Republicans were not able to protect all their seats during the redistricting process, which led to the creation of more minority districts that tend to vote Democratic. (Unlike Congress, new legislative seats are not added as the state's population increases.)

"The pendulum just went as far as it can go," Jillson said.

Less republican is a good thing of course. Less experienced means more very partisan hacks like tea party types, so that certainly is concerning. I really hope that the pundits are wrong on this and we somehow mange to get that spread even close than 84-66.

We need some sanity back in the Texas House. If we could only get women to vote for their interests and kick the republicans to the curb this year.

[Melissa G]

1. How any woman votes

for the current crop of republican loonies is beyond me. Might be interesting to put up a website to see what these women would say, given how crazy the 'pub party has gotten. More likely, it would be what 'pub men paid them to say.

[TexasTowelie]

2. It looks like you posted a duplicate.

But I agree with you that we should be able to get closer than an 84-66 spread. Prior to the 2010 election it was a 76-74 spread in the Texas House, so if there is enough Democratic voter turnout we should be able to get near that level or, perchance to dream, take control of the Texas House again!

When I lived in Irving my rep, Linda Harper Brown (Repugnicant), won by 19 votes in the 2008 election which kept the house from being split 75-75 (I use the term "my rep" loosely since I certainly don't want to claim her). Several experienced Democrats lost in the 2010 election including England, Dunnam and Leibowitz. In addition, two of the Democrats defected to the GOP after the election.

[sonias]

3. sorry about that

Didn't notice your earlier thread!