News coverage of the Very Special Election

You already know the big news from the Very Special Election filing deadline, so I won't recapitulate that here. I'll just note the following from the Chron story.

Sekula-Gibbs jabbed Lampson for skipping the race.

"It's surprising a person clamoring to have a special election then refuses to run," Sekula-Gibbs said. "The district deserves representation."

Lampson has said Gov. Rick Perry should have called an emergency special election earlier this year when DeLay vacated the seat.

If Sekula-Gibbs wins the special election she will have to resign from the Houston City Council, even if she doesn't win the term that begins in January.

"To me, that's a risk that I am willing to take," said Sekula-Gibbs, whose council term runs through next year.

"I am not half-hearted in my commitment."

Asked why she is not giving up her council seat now to focus on the congressional race, she replied, "Because being on the City Council gives me a tremendous opportunity to speak out on issues that are important to our region. I cannot give up that position."

Which makes her, what, three-fourths-hearted in her commitment? I'll be generous and say four-fifths.

Let me go on the record now and give my full endorsement to Shelley Sekula-Gibbs for the Very Special Election. Nothing would please me more than to see her live up to that commitment to give up her City Council seat in order to be Congresswoman for her Christmas vacation.

(And boy howdy will there be a scramble for that seat if it opens up. I'm already aware of at least three people who are looking at it. The main question is whether her seat could be filled earlier than May, which would be the official date for a replacement election. The answer may depend in part on whether or not Shelley wins outright in November, or has to go to a runoff, which would take place in December. You think there's a lot of maneuvering going on for a stupid, meaningless Very Special Election that could only be improved by the addition of Mary Carey and Gary Coleman? Just wait till there's an at-large City Council seat to fill on short notice.)

Anyway. Bob Dunn manages to stop his head from spinning long enough to summarize the story so far. Check it out.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on September 02, 2006 to Election 2006 | TrackBack