Republicans going after Chet Edwards

[ccharles000]

Republicans have landed their favored recruit against Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Tex.), fueling their optimism that the longtime Texas lawmaker representing a conservative Waco district will be a top target next year.

Businessman Bill Flores will be announcing his campaign tomorrow after initially resisting entreaties this year from the National Republican Congressional Committee earlier in the spring. He sent a letter to party leaders and colleagues last weekend informing them of his decision.

“I got fed up watching what has been going on in Washington and felt it was more important for me to offer myself as a candidate in the hopes that we can change the leadership in Washington and have more appropriate and accountable representation for our district,” Flores said in his statement announcing his campaign.

Republicans are excited about many aspects of Flores’ profile: He’s a Texas A&M graduate, and a generous benefactor to the university, which is a major employer in the district. That’s an important resume point in a race where Edwards routinely and proudly advertises his own Aggie ties.

An energy industry veteran, Flores has the capability to partially self-finance the race, and plans to put in a half-million dollars of seed money in to begin – well more than the entire amount Edwards’ Republican opponent Rob Curnock spent in 2008.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/scorecard/1209/Republicans_targeting_Chet_Edwards.html?showall

[PBS Poll-435]

1. CenTex folks are pretty loyal to Edwards

It would take a tsunami to unseat him, I believe.

[Mojambo]

2. Isn't this the guy that Pelosi was pushing as a darkhorse Veep candidate in 2008? n/t

[last_texas_dem]

3. IIRC, Edwards was the only targeted Dem who survived the Delay re-redistricting

It may have helped that he was up against the nutty Arlene Wohlgemuth, and this year will likely be the toughest one for Dems that Edwards has had to deal with representing the post-Delay redrawn district, but, as an above poster said, the district seems to retain a certain loyalty to Edwards even as they vote for the 'pugs for higher office.

[OutNow]

4. Lloyd Doggett Also

The Delay redistricting was a travesty for the democratic (small d) process. The got Martin Frost and other good representative, but Lloyd survived even after they took most of Austin from his district and created a new district that ran from south of Austin all the way to the border. He learned how to speak Spanish and campaigned hard in the valley. And won.