Primary elections for the coming year are taking place all over the country. Some of the states have declared the results while some are yet to conduct the election. The Primary election for the Texas 22nd Congressional district is scheduled to be held on March 4th 2008. The last elections saw Tom DeLay win the primary but opt out of the race subsequently as a result of corruption charges. DeLay outspent his closest opponent, Tom Campbell, by a near 20-1 ratio. It was his lowest percentage of votes in a primary election and it prompted questions about whether he could win the general election. This led to the holding of a special election. A special election is a by-election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between General Elections. Usually this occurs when the incumbent has died or resigned, but it may also occur when the incumbent becomes ineligible to continue in office, in case of a recall or a sufficiently serious criminal conviction.
Texas law stipulates that after a candidate wins a primary, the party may not replace him unless he is ineligible for re-election. DeLay moved to Virginia after his resignation rendering himself ineligible. The precinct chairs selected Houston councilwoman Shelley Sekula-Gibbs as the Republican write-in candidate. In the Special Election, Sekula-Gibbs won with approximately 63 percent of the vote and was sworn in as a Member of Congress on November 13, 2006.
In the general election there were three main candidates: Democrat and former US Representative Nick Lampson, Libertarian Party candidate Bob Smither, and Republican Sekula-Gibbs. Only Lampson's and Smither's names appeared on the ballot, as Shelley Sekula-Gibbs had to run as a write-in candidate. In this race, Lampson captured 52% of the vote, to Sekula-Gibbs' 42%, and Smither collected 6%.
The candidates contesting for this seat this year includes former Sugar Land mayor Dean Hrbacek, former Pasadena mayor John Manlove, former John Cornyn Chief of Staff Pete Olson, Family District Judge Jim Squier, State Representative Bob Talton, and NASA contractor Ryan Rowley.
Texas law stipulates that after a candidate wins a primary, the party may not replace him unless he is ineligible for re-election. DeLay moved to Virginia after his resignation rendering himself ineligible. The precinct chairs selected Houston councilwoman Shelley Sekula-Gibbs as the Republican write-in candidate. In the Special Election, Sekula-Gibbs won with approximately 63 percent of the vote and was sworn in as a Member of Congress on November 13, 2006.
In the general election there were three main candidates: Democrat and former US Representative Nick Lampson, Libertarian Party candidate Bob Smither, and Republican Sekula-Gibbs. Only Lampson's and Smither's names appeared on the ballot, as Shelley Sekula-Gibbs had to run as a write-in candidate. In this race, Lampson captured 52% of the vote, to Sekula-Gibbs' 42%, and Smither collected 6%.
The candidates contesting for this seat this year includes former Sugar Land mayor Dean Hrbacek, former Pasadena mayor John Manlove, former John Cornyn Chief of Staff Pete Olson, Family District Judge Jim Squier, State Representative Bob Talton, and NASA contractor Ryan Rowley.
