There's an interesting little nugget in the Texas Election Code that prohibits a candidate from withdrawing from a ballot after being nominated in their party primary. The election code also seems to had been put into place by Texan Republicans off in the 80's for added humor to those involved I suppose.
So for this year's election Tom Delay got to be on the ballot while the replacement Republican had to have her name written in, which has allowed a Democrat to win in one of the more conservative areas of Texas.
And for those not interested in following the link:
Quote:
Lampson's outlook went from underdog to favorite when DeLay quit Congress and courts prohibited the GOP from replacing him on the general election ballot.
Lampson is a former U.S. representative who had accumulated a multimillion-dollar war chest in anticipation of a nationally watched battle with DeLay.
The state GOP backed Sekula-Gibbs as its write-in candidate, and she mounted a strong, well-funded candidacy that included extensive television advertising showing voters how to cast write-in ballots.
DeLay trounced three challengers in March to win the GOP nomination for a 12th term. He announced his resignation in April amid a growing influence-peddling scandal that already had caused two of his former aides to plead guilty to federal charges. He also faces state campaign finance indictments in Austin, charges that he says were politically motivated.
He said he thought he could win re-election but that he did not want to be a lightning rod for Democrats to use to attack Republicans nationally.
DeLay tried to give his party the opportunity to replace him on the ballot by moving his legal residence to his condominium in Virginia while maintaining a home in Sugar Land. Republicans argued that made him ineligible to run or serve, and allowed them to replace him on the ballot.
Democrats sued to block Republicans from picking a nominee, arguing that the Texas Election Code prohibits a candidate from withdrawing from a ballot after being nominated in the party primary. The courts agreed, leading to the campaign in which Sekula-Gibbs earned the state GOP's blessing.
Lampson is a former U.S. representative who had accumulated a multimillion-dollar war chest in anticipation of a nationally watched battle with DeLay.
The state GOP backed Sekula-Gibbs as its write-in candidate, and she mounted a strong, well-funded candidacy that included extensive television advertising showing voters how to cast write-in ballots.
DeLay trounced three challengers in March to win the GOP nomination for a 12th term. He announced his resignation in April amid a growing influence-peddling scandal that already had caused two of his former aides to plead guilty to federal charges. He also faces state campaign finance indictments in Austin, charges that he says were politically motivated.
He said he thought he could win re-election but that he did not want to be a lightning rod for Democrats to use to attack Republicans nationally.
DeLay tried to give his party the opportunity to replace him on the ballot by moving his legal residence to his condominium in Virginia while maintaining a home in Sugar Land. Republicans argued that made him ineligible to run or serve, and allowed them to replace him on the ballot.
Democrats sued to block Republicans from picking a nominee, arguing that the Texas Election Code prohibits a candidate from withdrawing from a ballot after being nominated in the party primary. The courts agreed, leading to the campaign in which Sekula-Gibbs earned the state GOP's blessing.
