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The Democratic Strategist

Political Strategy for a Permanent Democratic Majority

Lone Star Donkeys Deliver Sweet #30

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any sweeter, along comes Ciro Rodriguez with an upset run-off victory over 7-term GOP congressman Henry Bonilla in TX-23. This gives the Dems a net 30 pick-up in the House and will leave Republicans without a single Mexican-American member of Congress. So much for the GOP’s pipedreams about winning the support of Hispanic voters. Rodriguez undoubtedly benefitted from the court-ordered redrawing of TX-23. But he also used his party affiliation to good effect. As CQPolitics.com‘s Greg Giroux notes in his New York Times article:

…one of Rodriguez’ biggest added advantages in the runoff campaign was that he could boast of being a member of the House majority if he were to be elected — something he could not definitively claim before the primary, which coincided with the national Election Day.

And don’t let anyone get away with chalking this one up to a Democrat moving to the right. As Giroux notes:

Rodriguez’s win probably will be brandished by political liberals as evidence that they can prevail in partisan battleground districts. Rodriguez voted against authorizing military operations in Iraq; in favor of a minimum wage increase; and against proposed bans of same-sex marriage and “partial birth” abortion.

Yep, that’s right. Deep in the heart of Texas.

One comment on “Lone Star Donkeys Deliver Sweet #30

  1. Steve Spurgin on

    Ciro’s trouncing of Bonilla is sweet justice. Bonilla – with sights on a US Senate seat – was DeLay’s puppet and supported the unprecedented Texas redistricting effort that resulted in the defeat of Martin Frost, et al. in 2004. So long, Henry. You won’t be missed by this District 23 voter.
    Steve Spurgin
    Presidio County, Texas

    Reply

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