AP: Bonilla (R) Loses House Seat After 7 Terms (TX-23)

[Eugene]

Bonilla Loses House Seat After 7 Terms


Wednesday December 13, 2006 3:01 AM

AP Photo TXEG102, TXEG101

By ELIZABETH WHITE

Associated Press Writer

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Former Congressman Ciro Rodriguez defeated seven-term Republican
Henry Bonilla in a runoff election Tuesday, adding another Democrat to Congress.

With more than half the precincts reporting in the state's largest district, Rodriguez
had 57 percent to Bonilla's 43 percent.

They were the top vote-getters in a special election held Nov. 7, but neither got 50
percent, prompting the runoff.

Bonilla was seeking an eighth term in Washington, while Rodriguez was hoping to return
after a two-year absence. He served from 1997-2005 in another district but was ousted
in the March 2004 Democratic primary by Henry Cuellar, a Laredo Democrat. Rodriguez
lost again to Cuellar in this year's primary.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6276884,00.html

[Fridays Child]

1. That's great news!

:kick:

[aaronbees]

2. Beautiful!

Right on, Texas.

[Monkeyman]

3. Hey Randy you watching brother

One more Veteran kicks Repubican Butt

[MisterP]

4. yess! I backed him in the primary against "Hold Me, Touch Me" Cuellar

(with a "surprise" at the end of the ballot count, a'course...) and then against Bonerilla

[marmar]

5. Yes....

More Bush-supporting detritus has been removed from Capitol Hill. Congrats to Ciro Rodriguez. It's a brand new day.

[flamingyouth]

6. Awesome news

:thumbsup:

[Contrite]

7. That is wonderful!

So inspiring after he lost the primary twice to Cuellar. This guy doesn't quit! Love it!

[eridani]

8. Ciro! Ciro! Ciro! Ciro! n/t

[last_texas_dem]

9. Awesome

Ciro seems like a really cool guy, and I'm so glad he knocked out Bonilla. I'm actually a little surprised, but maybe I'm just too much of a pessimist; I didn't predict we'd pick up as many seats back in November as we managed to, either.

Anyway, "Go Ciro!"

(Oh yeah, another cool thing... Ciro holds the distinction of between the first individual candidate whose campaign I donated money to who actually won their race! Here's hoping for more of that in the future!)

[Arugula Latte]

10. Holy Mierda! This is great!

:woohoo:

Sweet vindication!

[Ken Burch]

11. Congratulations, Ciro!

Y el hombre justo prevalecerá!

[gr8dane_daddy]

12. Hell yes!!!! Way to go Ciro!

I remember meeting bonilla back in 1994 when I was an intern for the USDA and arguing with him of why I voted for Clinton (my first presidential election). At the time, he was the only hispanic republican. Growing up, I despised republicans for the way they treated us hispanics in west Texas. He represented a hispanic "Uncle Tomas" for me...I'm so glad he's gone now.

[Judi Lynn]

13. Henry Bonilla had terrible taste in friends.

Undoubtedly Ciro Rodriguez can do far, far better.

[The Deacon]

24. Tio Taco for sure, 'Mano

[Beausoleil]

14. This is great!

We're closing on a house in TX-23 this Friday! After being in Lamar Smith's district (TX-21) for 4 years, this move just gets better!
I can't remember the last time I was represented by a Democratic congressman.

Congratulations, Ciro!

[deepthought42]

15. Oh, yes, YES!!!

:toast: :bounce: :D

[gratuitous]

16. Tom DeLay's redistricting scheme comes through again

I wonder if Texas Republicans are reconsidering their backing of the "permanent majority" scheme hatched by DeLay? Looks like at the federal level they're not doing nearly as well as they had hoped, and the younger representatives sitting in the "safe" districts don't have the seniority or the clout of the older, more established hands (who lost). Looks like Texas may have successfully written itself out of power politics for a decade or more.

Smooth maneuver, Hoover.

[bookman]

26. DeLay has screwed Texas

You are correct in how Texas has been harmed by this plan. There was an article in the Houston Chronicle a while back about this. Fewer Texas Congressmen have seniority.

It will take a while to restore our image to the rest of the country.

I too am ashamed our President is from Texas.

[flying_wahini]

17. Bill Clinton was here on Sunday to help pull out the votes

sure glad he came

[rodeodance]

18. Democrats claim another seat in Texas race

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061213/pl_nm/texas_election_runoff_dc

Democrats claim another seat in Texas race

Wed Dec 13, 12:46 AM ET

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Reuters) - Democrats claimed another seat in the House of Representatives on Tuesday in a runoff election that pitted two Latinos against each other, capping the party's recapture of Congress last month.


Seven-term Republican incumbent Henry Bonilla lost to former U.S. Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (news, bio, voting record) in a race that had angered some as it was held on December 12, which marks Our Lady of Guadalupe, one of the most important dates in the Mexican calendar.

That was seen by some as a Republican ploy to depress the Hispanic vote in a bid to benefit the conservative Bonilla, a strong supporter of
President George W. Bush.

But with 95 percent of the vote counted in the sprawling district, Rodriguez held a surprisingly strong 55 percent to 45 percent lead.

A spokesman for Bonilla said the conservative incumbent had been "caught up in a tsunami of change" sweeping the country.

[Deep13]

19. Cool, another red state seat.

How many is that for us?

[calimary]

29. Here: (From the Washington Post link in post 22)

SAN ANTONIO, Dec. 12 -- The last congressional race in the midterm elections went Tuesday night as so many others did over the past five weeks, with a Democrat ousting a Republican from office.

Ciro Rodriguez handily defeated Rep. Henry Bonilla (R) in a runoff election in Texas's 23rd Congressional District, the 36th congressional seat this year that switched from Republican to Democratic hands.

With 95 percent of precincts reporting, Rodriguez had 55 percent of the vote. Bonilla, who was seeking an eighth term, drew 45 percent.

Rodriguez's victory means Democrats will hold a 233-202 advantage in the House.

Hey nonny-nonny and a HA-cha-cha!!!

[Captain Hilts]

20. Another Texas Toadie takes a hit. nt

[Zambero]

21. It wasn't even close

Sweet!

[IronLionZion]

23. 54 to 45 and Bonilla had way more money, incumbency, and name recognition!

[IronLionZion]

22. Congratulations Ciro! Some American links for this story:

CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/12/13/texas.house.ap/index.html

Houston Chronicle
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/4398329.html



WaPo
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/12/AR2006121201601.html

NY Times
http://www.nytimes.com/cq/2006/12/12/cq_2034.html


This is great news! Score another one for the good guys!

[BurtWorm]

25. I needed a little good news today.

Thank you.

:toast:

[UTUSN]

27. RODRIGUEZ is a GREAT Dem, absolutely GREAT for vets n/t

[Monkeyman]

28. Dam right it is.

[auburngrad82]

30. So what's that give us now, 235 seats right? nt

[CANDO]

33. 233 - D / 201 - R / 1 Contested

The contested seat is the FL 13th which is in the courts trying to figure why 18,000 people didn't vote for congressional candidates in predominantly democratic precincts. Actually the Repub has been certified the winner. This one may take some time to settle.

[Zynx]

34. Democrats should send a message to Florida about their elections

by not seating anyone from that seat at all.

[bianca2001]

35. VIVA CIRO!!!

Hopefully things here in Florida will improve here in Florida, now

that we are "Getting out of the BUSHES".......

[arewenotdemo]

36. so how many new Dem House seats does that make?

I lost count at 30.

So glad to see Bonilla go down as I lived in SA for 10 years.

[Old Smokey]

31. Best news I have heard all day !!!!!

:woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo::woohoo:

[Vidar]

32. Good news.