DeLay Tries to Fight Off GOP Challengers (AP)

[Up2Late]

("...In early returns, DeLay led with 61 percent of the vote. His closest challenger, environmental attorney Tom Campbell, had 29 percent...." If anyone in Texas has any more updated returns, please post them! Is 61% bad for Delay?)

Mar 7, 9:47 PM EST

DeLay Tries to Fight Off GOP Challengers

By ALICIA A. CALDWELL
Associated Press Writer

SUGAR LAND, Texas (AP) -- Rep. Tom DeLay tried to beat back three challengers for the Republican nomination Tuesday in his first election since he was indicted and forced to step aside as House majority leader.

While DeLay was widely expected to win, a close race could foretell a tough contest for the congressman in the fall. For his part, DeLay said he was confident his constituents would see the campaign-finance case against him for what it is: "a leftist abuse of power."

In early returns, DeLay led with 61 percent of the vote. His closest challenger, environmental attorney Tom Campbell, had 29 percent. In the other big Texas primary race, a former Democratic congressman from Houston won the right to challenge Republican Gov. Rick Perry in a state where the GOP holds every statewide office. Perry had little GOP opposition.

Chris Bell prevailed over Bob Gammage, a former Texas Supreme Court justice who jumped into the race in December after a decade out of politics. Perry won his primary easily against three little-known opponents. Texas voters could see a historic four-way race for governor in November if two independents with considerable political charisma - Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn and musician and professional wiseacre Kinky Friedman - gather enough signatures from voters who do not vote in the primary to get onto the fall ballot.

(more at link below)

<http://staging.hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/T/TEXAS_PRIMARY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-03-07-21-47-35>

[skipos]

1. "Leftist abuse of power?!?" I didn't know we had any power.

Republicans are the ones running the show. Hence, everything is going to shit.

[MadMaddie]

2. They don't know when to quit do they....

[acmavm]

3. How in the name of anything that makes any sense can there possibly

be so many fricking STUPID people in one state (Texas). Delay is in a run-away lead.

2006 Primary Election Results
Last Updated On Mar 7, 08:59 pm

FBC Early Vote FBC Primary Vote Total Vote
U.S. Rep., 22nd Num. Pct. Num. Pct. Num. Pct.
Pat Baig: 334 4.65% 71 5.54% 578 3.87%
Tom Campbell 2,065 28.74% 414 32.32% 3,933 26.34%
Tom DeLay 4,288 59.68% 689 53.79% 9,522 63.77%
Mike Fjetland 498 6.93% 107 8.35% 898 6.01%

[rodeodance]

5. I have no idea.

[Jane Austin]

6. You're talking about Texas Republicans.

Of COURSE they're stupid.

[Up2Late]

7. Do you have a link for those numbers?

They are very hard to read like that.

DU never does to well with "tables" like that.

[LiberalInGeorgia2005]

9. Here is a link to the results from the Texas secretary of state

http://enr.sos.state.tx.us/06prirep.htm?x=0&y=197&id=849

Looks like nut Ron Paul is wiping up too!

[Mithras61]

12. Try this link...

http://enr.sos.state.tx.us/rep1race5.htm

As this time (31 of 216 precincts reporting):

DeLay: 10,005
Campbell: 4,049
Fjetland: 918
Baig: 591

This is U.S. Representative, District 22 Republican primary. The winner (if by at least 50.1%) will face off against Nick Lampson who ran unopposed.


Edited to add precint reporting levels

[Mithras61]

13. Just updated...

to 56 precincts reporting:

Baig: 638
Campbell: 4,456
DeLay (Incumbent): 11,323
Fjetland: 971

[grytpype]

4. Hell, I hope he wins the primary!

That way the Dem gets to run against him for the seat in the general, we WANT DeLay to win the primary!

[still_one]

11. i hear what you are saying, but this is the state that gave you bush

[queenbdem87]

8. I hope he wins too

If he wins we have a much better chance of getting Lampson in there. whereas if one of the other republicans win the primary, Lampson will have to run against an untarnished republican in a republican leaning gerrymandered district.

[Geoff R. Casavant]

10. These are just the early votes.

The Texas Sec'y of State has a web page that updates every 10 minutes. All they have as of 9:47 PM CST is the early votes and 21 of a total 216 precincts reporting.

Here's hoping my HTML isn't rusty: http://enr.sos.state.tx.us/rep1race5.htm?x=0&y=125&id=534

[Up2Late]

14. 11:25pm Vote total update

RACE NAME EARLY VOTES PERCENT TOTAL VOTES PERCENT
U. S. Representative District 22


Pat Baig 440 3.53% 638 3.67%
Tom Campbell 3,064 24.57% 4,456 25.63%
Tom DeLay - Incumbent 8,310 66.63% 11,323 65.12%
Mike Fjetland 658 5.28% 971 5.58%
--------------- ---------------
Total Votes Cast 12,472 17,388
Precincts Reported 56 of 216 Precincts 25.93%

Not looking good for Pat Baig.