Mary Denny retiring

State Rep. Mary Denny, one of the Texas Monthly Ten Worst Legislators for 2005 and a dedicated foe of letting people vote and ensuring voting system integrity, will not run for reelection next year.

The District 63 representative is not running again because of her husband's failing health, she said.

"My husband's health is not what it should be," said Ms. Denny, 57. "I've decided that it's time for me to retire to devote myself to him and our pursuits."

District 63 covers the majority of Denton County, including northern, western and southwestern portions.

Ms. Denny said her decision had nothing to do with either a stressful legislative session troubled by school finance issues or with the prospect of a contested election.

Two Republicans had already announced plans to run for her seat.During Ms. Denny's seven terms, she has worked on election, campaign and ethics reforms, according to a news release. She is also the chairwoman of the Texas House Elections Committee and a member of the Texas House committees on criminal jurisprudence and House administration.

Denton County Republican Chairwoman Dianne Edmondson said that Ms. Denny's announcement could bring out more candidates, though they would be getting a late start.Candidates can file for primary races between Saturday and Jan. 2. The primary election is March 7.

The two declared Republicans are business owner Ricky Grunden of Krum and former Lewisville school district trustee Anne Lakusta of Flower Mound. As for the Democrats:

Denton County Democratic Chairwoman Edra Bogle said Monday that her party has a candidate who has been debating whether to run for the state Legislature or Congress. She said she hopes that candidate will run for the District 63 seat.

I'll be happy to see someone run here, but calling it a longshot is an understatement. This is about as safe a seat as you can find, with the low Republican performance in 2004 being Victor Carrillo's 75.7%. As for the Congressional alternative, this district is almost entirely within CD26, held by Michael Burgess, who overperformed against a weak opponent in 2004. Whatever choice this person makes - and I do hope he or she does choose one of these races - I hope it will be with an eye towards grassroots outreach and a strong work ethic. Thanks to BOR for the tip.

UPDATE: The Red State piles on.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on November 29, 2005 to Election 2006 | TrackBack