Remap is key for Ralph Hall (may switch parties)

[Freddie Stubbs]

Conservative Democrat doesn't rule out switching to GOP


05:48 PM CST on Thursday, December 11, 2003

By JUDY EVANS / The Dallas Morning News

At 80, Ralph Hall is the oldest member of the U.S. House, but that doesn't mean he's looking toward retirement.

With the filing deadline nearing for the spring primaries, the Rockwall Democrat said this week that he'd like to extend his 23-year tenure in Congress.

"I want to run. I intended to run, but I don't know until I know about the redistricting," Mr. Hall said.

A federal court in Austin is hearing a challenge to the congressional map recently approved by the Republican-led Texas Legislature. That map would leave Mr. Hall in a dramatically altered district populated by hundreds of thousands of East Texans whom he's never represented.

more: http://www.dallasnews.com/localnews/city/rockwallrowlett/stories/121203dnrochall.a410c.html

[Ishoutandscream]

1. Ralph should just officially become a Republican

He sure votes with them. His son Brett is looking at a political career here in Rockwall. At least he's honest - he is a registered Republican.

[lastliberalintexas]

2. Nope

EVERY Dem is important for caucasing purposes, even those like Hall, Miller, etc. It's going to be hard enough for us to win the House back- we don't want to lose the conservative Dems too.

I know- he's not perfect. Neither is mine (Jim Turncoat Turner). But they've stood by the party for this long, and we need to remind them of why they should stay. Besides, if he switched parties he'd probably lose to a right winger in the primary (at least that is what's happened in recent times in Texas to those Dems who switched). And then we lose a body in Congress with a D behind their name AND they're replaced with a right winger! We have a big enough tent for people like Hall.

[nator311]

3. Does anyone know

the makeup of this court in terms of party affiliation? That will be important.

[mndemocrat_29]

4. Didn't Ralph Hall say he was going to vote for Hastert anyway

If the Democrats won the House?