REPORT OF TEXPAC
TEXPAC Report 1-A-06
Subject: TEXPAC Activities
Presented by: David Henkes, MD, Chair
Membership
TEXPAC finished 2005 targeting physicians, alliance members, students, and residents through a well-coordinated effort and assistance from AMPAC and county medical societies.
Achievements in 2005 include:
TEXPAC's current membership levels include:
- Dual TEXPAC/AMPAC Capitol Club membership (Capitol Club is the only joint membership category; $1,000 per couple per year);
- TEXPAC/AMPAC 300 Club membership ($300 per person per year);
- TEXPAC/AMPAC membership ($125 per physician per year-$75 TEXPAC, $50 AMPAC)
($100 per alliance member per year-$50 TEXPAC, $50 AMPAC);
- Basic Alliance TEXPAC membership ($50 per alliance member per year);
- Resident TEXPAC/AMPAC membership ($40 per year; $20 for resident spouse);
- Student TEXPAC/AMPAC membership ($10 per year; $10 for student spouse).
The TEXPAC board will continue to make membership one of its top priorities. Additionally, TEXPAC will work jointly with AMPAC on marketing strategies to renew former members and to gain new ones. It is important that every delegation to the TMA house have 100 percent membership in TEXPAC. This display of unity is critical.
Primary 2006
Republican Primary: There were 653,193 Republican Primary voters (5.13 percent of registered voters) compared to 687,615 in 2004, 620,463 in 2002 and 1,126,757 in 2000 (when George W. Bush was on the Presidential Primary ballot the first time).
Governor - Gov. Rick Perry easily defeated his three Republican Primary challengers with 84.27 percent of the vote. Larry Kilgore got 7.6 percent; Star Locke received 3.51 percent; and Rhett R. Smith got 4.63 percent. Five potential candidates are aiming to collect enough signatures to qualify as Independent candidates for Governor including: Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn of Austin and Humorist Richard S. "Kinky" Friedman of Medina. Potential Independent candidates began collecting signatures on March 8th, and have until May 11th to get the 45,540 names necessary to qualify for the ballot. Only registered voters who did not vote in either the Republican or Democratic Primaries are eligible to sign a petition for Independent candidates. James Werner will be on the November ballot as a Libertarian.
Lt. Governor - Lt. Governor David Dewhurst easily defeated his Republican Primary challenger, Tom Kelly, by a vote of 78.2 percent to 21.8 percent. Gary L. Thurman of Midland has filed a declaration of intent to run as an Independent. Judy Baker will be on the ballot in November as a Libertarian.
Supreme Court Place 2 - Justice Don Willett, appointed to the court by Gov. Rick Perry in September 2005, narrowly defeated former Supreme Court Justice Steven Wayne Smith 50.45 percent to 49.55 percent. The Democratic candidate is William E. "Bill" Moody of El Paso. The Libertarian candidate is Wade Wilson.
Democratic Primary - There were 533,456 voters (4.19 percent of registered voters) in the Democratic primary compared to 839,231 in 2004; 1,003,388 in 2002; and 786,890 in 2000.
US Senate - Houston Attorney Barbara Ann Radnofsky will be in a run-off vote with perennial candidate Gene Kelly of Universal City who received 38.24 percent to Radnofsky's 42.95 percent. 2004 Presidential candidate Darrell Reece Hunter of Amarillo received 18.80 percent of the vote. She will face Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in the November general election. Hutchison was unopposed in the Republican Primary. Also on the November ballot are three Libertarian candidates, Scott Lanier Jameson, Ray Salinas, and Timothy Wade.
Governor - Congressman Chris Bell (D-Houston) led a field of four candidates for the Democratic nomination for Governor and won without a run-off with 63.76 percent of the vote. He won the nomination over former Supreme Court Justice, Congressman, and State Sen. Bob Gammage (D-Llano), who received 28.59 percent; and Rashad Jafer (D-Houston) who received 7.65 percent.
Lt. Gov. - Maria Luisa Alvarado of Austin and Benjamin Z. Grant, a retired judge and former state representative from Marshall, will be in a run-off to determine the Democratic nominee for Lt. Governor. Alvarado received 39.79 percent of the vote and Grant received 38.45 percent. Adrian DeLeon of Carrizo Springs received 21.75 percent. Judy Baker will be on the ballot as a Libertarian.
Texas Congressional Races
All 32 members of the Texas congressional delegation are seeking reelection (21 Republicans and 11 Democrats). Four members of Congress faced primary opponents including Republicans Sam Johnson of Plano; Ron Paul of Surfside; and Tom DeLay of Sugar Land; and Democrat Henry Cuellar of Laredo. All four Congressmen prevailed.
Texas Senate
Only 16 of the 31 members of the Texas Senate are up for election this year. Four incumbent Senators are not seeking reelection: Todd Staples (R-Palestine) in District 3 is running for Agriculture Commissioner; and Jon Lindsay (R-Houston) in District 7; Gonzalo Barrientos (D-Austin) in District 14; and Ken Armbrister (D-Victoria) in District 18 are not seeking reelection. Former Austin Mayor Kirk Watson (D-Austin) will succeed Barrientos in District 14 because he has no Democratic or Republican opposition. There were hot Republican Primary contests in Districts 3, 7, and 18. In SD 3 Robert Nichols (D-Jacksonville), SD 7 Dan Patrick (R-Houston), SD 18 Glenn Hegar (R-Katy) are all expected to prevail in November. Incumbent Sen. Bob Deuell (R-Greenville) in District 2 easily won his Primary election contest, but Sen. Frank Madla (D-San Antonio) was defeated by Rep. Carlos Uresti in the District 19 Democratic Primary.
Texas House of Representatives
All 150 of the House districts (86 Republicans and 64 Democrats) are up for election this year. Fourteen incumbents are not seeking reelection (compared to only five in 2004) including Representatives Ray Allen (R-Grand Prairie) and Todd Baxter (R-Austin), who resigned and their replacements already have been selected in special elections. Allen was replaced by Kirk England (R-Grand Prairie), an insurance agent. Baxter's district switched from Republican to Democrat with the election of Donna Howard (D-Austin), a nurse and former school board member. Other incumbents not running for reelection include: Mary Denny (R-Aubrey), Bob Griggs (R-North Richland Hills), Peggy Hamric (R-Houston), Glenn Hegar (R-Katy), Ruben Hope (R-Conroe), Bob Hunter (R-Abilene), Suzanna Gratia Hupp (R-Lampasas), Terry Keel (R-Austin), Pete Laney (D-Hale Center), Joe Nixon (R-Houston), Jim Solis (D-Harlingen), and Carlos Uresti (D-San Antonio).
Other than the large number of open seats, there were an unusually high number of primary election contests involving incumbent House members. Several of the Republican Primary races fell into two categories:
Challengers that are heavily financed by the Texas Republican Legislative Campaign Committee and San Antonio physician/businessman James Leininger, a private school voucher proponent. Incumbents targeted were Representatives Tommy Merritt of Longview in District 7; Roy Blake, Jr. of Nacogdoches in District 9; Carter Casteel of New Braunfels in District 73; Delwin Jones of Lubbock in District 83; and Charlie Geren of Fort Worth in District 99. Blake and Casteel were defeated, while Merritt, Delwin Jones, and Geren won their Primary elections.
Republican incumbents being challenged by educators or school board members including Representatives Dan Flynn of Van in District 2; Jim Pitts of Waxahachie in District 10; Larry Phillips of Sherman in District 62; Pat Haggerty of El Paso in District 78; David Swinford of Dumas in District 87; Kent Grusendorf of Arlington in District 94; and Vicki Truitt of Southlake in District 98. All won except Grusendorf.
Two other incumbent House members were defeated in the Primary - Republican Elvira Reyna of Mesquite in District 101 and Democrat Jesse Jones of Dallas in District 110. Three incumbent House members will be in a run-off - Democrat Richard Raymond of Laredo in District 42; Republican Scott Campbell of San Angelo in District 72; and Democrat Al Edwards of Houston in District 146.
TEXPAC will engage in many races during the general election in November; your involvement as a member of the House of Delegates is critical. TMA leadership must step up to the plate to ensure victory on issues that matter to them. Here are some ways you can help:
- Join TEXPAC!
- Upgrade your TEXPAC membership by calling toll free 1-800-880-1300 ext. 1361.
- Talk to your patients about medicine's issues.
- Volunteer to work or assist with a candidate's campaign.
- Urge your friends and patients to vote for pro-medicine candidates.
If you have information or political intelligence about races in your area or wish to get more involved in the TEXPAC effort, call TEXPAC staff or log onto www.texpac.org .
TMA House of Delegates: TexMed 2006