TX-25 Unofficial Results from the Texas Secretary of State’s Office
DISTRICT 25 – ALL COUNTIES
Donna Campbell (R) 84,780 (45%)
Lloyd Doggett (D) 99,853 (53%)
Jim Stutsman (L) 4,424 (2%)
TOTAL 189,057
Precincts 248 / 248
Travis County
Donna Campbell (R) 32,468
Lloyd Doggett (D) 67,536
Jim Stutsman (L) 2,652
TOTAL 102,656
Precincts 94 / 94
Riding the New Wave
By Poor Richard, Contributor | November 3, 2010 | Ramparts360
To quote the editorial board of today’s Statesman:
“U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett struggled early against GOP challenger Donna Campbell, a Columbus physician, before Travis County rescued him. It was a much closer race than many pundits had predicted.”
Dr. Donna Campbell took every county outside Travis, as expected. As well as she did to make a great fight in TX-25 (Doggett’s totals have never been so low), we could not overcome the Travis County prejudice in favor of a statist society.
This will change. Conservative redistricting and huge sweeping wins in state and local races will improve our chances dramatically for 2012.
Doggett has never had to fight so hard to win this district. Donna came within 15,000 votes of defeating Doggett, something that is unprecedented in this part of the State. Despite overturns to the contrary, there was almost a complete lack of support from the Texas GOP absent the phone bank project, and no funds from Dick Morris or any other PAC I’m aware of, to help fund Donna’s campaign efforts or supplement her advertising.
This was a true grassroots effort of volunteers and just plain folks who see the danger to our country and wanted to do something about it help. Donna closed to within 15,000 votes and no other candidate has ever done so well. This will force the GOP to take a hard look at District 25 in 2012.
Mike, TJ, Lori, Lennie, Pokey, Jim, Sibyl, Manu, Sharon, Jim, DJ, Kim, Stan, TMF, Lori, Charlie, “Abe”, George, Preston, Ray, and Robbie are just a very few of the folks whom I’ve had the privilege to meet and work with on this journey. There are so many, many more wonderful folks both in front of and behind the scenes whom I wish I knew better, or could remember, recall and name and thank personally for all they’ve done. Forgive me if I cannot remember everyone I’ve met at this writing. I have been honored to work with every one of you on Donna’s campaign.
Of course, there’s Donna – without whom this valiant effort would not have been possible. You’ve gained many friends for life and I hope you and your family will take some time to relax, decompress, reflect and assess things later. You finally gave us a candidate worth believing in and voting for. Your honesty, patriotism and love of country are unquestioned and filled us with love for you and yours. Just know that should you choose to run again in 2012, we will be there for you.
If the Texas GOP has a brain in their collective heads, they will get off the collective duffs and make every effort to win this district in 2012. They can no longer lay down for the Democratic machine. They absolutely must make a fight of this district because it can be won. The effect from such a win would be immeasurable. The message from this election is that conservatives can effectively compete in any district, anywhere in the state on any level, and that the Democrat machine, (yes – even in Austin), is in serious trouble.
I’ll be working like many of you for the next 2 years to revisit this fight and put an end to the Era of Obamination and the Lap Dog once and for all.
What is the lesson we should learn from TX-25? Simple — Turnout.
Republicans rode a huge wave driven by tea party and grassroots conservatives that either kept them in the statehouse or swept them into it. Rick Perry (Gov), David Dewhurst (Lt. Gov), Greg Abbott (TX AG), Jerry Patterson (Land) and Susan Combs (Comptroller), Todd Staples (Ag), David Porter (RR) and Debra Lehrmann (Tx SCt), among others, took most every important state office up for election.
Local coattails of this wave were even longer. Many of our friends won. Francisco “Quico” Canseco (TX-23), Bill Flores (TX-17), Melissa Goodwin (3rd CA), Ken Mercer (SBOE 5), Paul Workman (HD-47) and Jason Isaac (HD-45) won.
(Jay Janner AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
Some of our friends like Mary Lou Serafine (S14), Patrick McGuinness (HD-50), Mike Barre’ (JP3) and Marilyn Jackson (HD-51) did not, but their efforts were not in vain.
This should only bring home to us the point that the “enemy” (to borrow Obama’s favorite insult toward any American he disagrees with) was left unchallenged on the field of battle for far too long in Travis County and they remain a formidable opponent. We cannot take success for granted. However, this was a huge first step.
One of the things Conservatives and Independents must come to grips with, it that many Democrats do not care who the person running is. They will pull the (D) lever down the ticket in the knee-jerk reaction that puts ‘Party before Country’. This is their modus operandi and should be their Party motto. They do not care if they bankrupt America while they create an omnipotent statist power. Make no mistake — one party authoritarianism is their aim.
Liberalism has consumed the Democratic Party. Far too many old line Democrats and Reagan Democrats who still understand fiscal responsibility are still going along with their party without ever questioning their own side. Your choice has never been more clear. These are not your Grandfather’s Democrats. They abandoned you. It’s time to change sides.
It is also time for Libertarians to reconsider their role in dividing the vote. Two percent in a District like ours, can make a huge difference. Had Jim Stutsman withdrawn and thrown his support to Donna as the conservative candidate, the percentages would have been much closer at 47% to 51%. Yet this was certainly not the primary problem.
There were 117,000 Conservatives who voted in the GOP Primary. It’s not enough to vote in a primary and stay home on election day. You must follow through. Had all 117,000 Conservatives voted in this general election, we would be writing Lloyd Doggett’s political epitath right now. Turnout is critical. “Boots on the ground” makes the difference. Too many of us stayed home. Whether it was weather, lack of enthusiasm or overconfidence, this should be an object lesson for all of us.
The next fight will be harder. We surprised them this time. They won’t make that mistake again. It will take more effort, more organization and more planning to win, so we absolutely, positively begin right now.
Stay in touch. Stay enthused. See you along the way, and again in 2012.
God Bless the Patriots.
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Check out the Austin American Statesman today, too.
