Endorsement watch: Who’s your fourth choice?

The Chron endorses a new candidate for the CD36 Republican primary runoff.

Two survivors emerged from the crowded May Republican primary race to fill the new congressional seat for U.S. District 36, one of four new congressional districts added to the Texas delegation in Washington as a result of the 2010 Census.

The remaining candidates are Stephen Takach, a political newcomer from Baytown with deep roots in the district, and Steve Stockman, a former one-term congressman who upset veteran Democratic U.S. Rep. Jack Brooks in the 1994 Republican sweep.

We urge District 36 Republican runoff voters to cast their ballots for Takach. The runoff winner will face the unchallenged Democratic primary winner, businessman and pilot Max Martin, in November. The sprawling district encompasses Newton, Jasper, Tyler, Polk, Orange, Hardin and Liberty counties in East Texas, as well as Chambers County and a portion of east Harris County.

Remember, this was the race in which the Chron had made a three-way endorsement for the May primary. As none of those three made the cut, they had to dig a little deeper for the runoff. Given that one of the two candidates left standing was the notorious whackjob Steve Stockman, the choice was easy if not obvious when they started. Hey, you endorse from the pool of candidates you have, not the pool of candidates you wish you had.

Of the other runoffs – and I’m going off the top of my head here, so jump in and make whatever additions or corrections are needed – the only other one I can think of where the Chron’s first round choice was eliminated was the HD137 primary, in which the Chron originally recommended Joe Madden. Since the May field was as they called it an “impressive slate of candidates”, their second choice will hardly be a consolation prize. Beyond that, the Chron did not make a choice in CD07, HCDE Precinct 1 Position 6, or Constable Precinct 2, so we’ll see if they get around to it this time. For all the other races I can think of, the runoff candidates include the Chron’s pick from May. On the Democratic side that includes Paul Sadler and Cindy Vara-Leija; for the GOP that includes David Dewhurst, David Medina, and Carl Pittman. Again, if I’ve missed anyone, let me know.

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3 Responses to Endorsement watch: Who’s your fourth choice?

  1. At least this time they mentioned the name of the Democratic candidate, Max Martin. They’ve left him out of previous articles. Candidate for Senate Paul Sadler is also frequently lost in the shuffle in reports on the train wreck between Dewhurst and Cruz.

  2. Pingback: Endorsement watch: Better late than never – Off the Kuff

  3. Max Martin says:

    This article doesn’t surprise me at all. Over the last few months, I have researched the backgrounds and platforms of the Republican candidates for U.S. Congress in the Texas 36th district. All of those running had the same Fox News positions that we should stop requiring successful wealthy people from paying income tax, let the energy industry do whatever it wants to the environment and stop feeding people just because they’re starving. I have yet to hear any real solutions for the problems we face as a nation. So, I’m going to do something you don’t see very often in today’s politics, offer suggestions!

    We need to insure that all pay their fare share of taxes, increasing in rate for higher incomes. We need to protect our environment from a thriving energy industry. This would be a major job creator in the most profitable industry in the world. We need to increase the minimum wage and promote livable wages through collective bargaining. This would be the most effective way to stimulate the economy. The main reason we don’t have more job growth is the general population is broke. How are you going to create jobs, if you don’t have a market to sell your goods or services to? We need to promote education for a better tomorrow. This too would create jobs. We need to be hiring teachers, not laying them off. We need to support the “Dream Act” for young undocumented immigrants. Instead of spending money hunting them down, dragging them through court, housing them while they await deportation and then removing them from the country, we would create a future source of good wage earners who contribute to the economy and the tax base. We need to work toward a balanced approach to the national debt issue. Let’s tell Grover Norquist to take his anti American “Taxpayer Protection Pledge“, signed by 95% of all Republican Congressman, and stop obstructing our recovery. We need to stop acting like spoiled brats and start solving our economic problems like adults. In times of war, Americans give up their sons and daughters. In times of financial disasters we all must pitch in for the good of the country, even the wealthy.

    Max Martin
    Democratic Candidate
    United States Congress, Texas 36th District

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