Primary elections results yield incumbent upsets, runoffs, and a doctor in the House

posted 03.03.10

Results from yesterday’s Texas primary election reveal several incumbent upsets, a slate of runoff elections in April, and a doctor taking a seat in the Texas House of Representatives. Here’s a run-down of some key results.

Six incumbents in the Texas House lost their seats to challengers. These were Republicans Betty Brown of Athens (HD 4) and Tommy Merritt of Longview (HD 7), and Democrats Dora Olivo of Missouri City (HD 27), Tara Rios Ybarra of Austin (HD 43), Terri Hodge of Dallas (HD 100), and Al Edwards of Houston (HD 146).

In the Senate, incumbents fared much better. Bob Deuell, M.D., a family physician from Greenville (SD 2), and Steve Odgen of Bryan (SD 5) won their primary races. Though Kip Averitt of Waco withdrew from the SD 22 primary race, he remained on the ballot in the Republican primary and won over challenger Darren Yancy. Averitt must now decide whether to run for election in November or allow the seat to be filled by special election since there is no Democratic challenger. Filling Eliot Shapleigh’s vacant seat in SD 29 is Jose Rodriquez of El Paso.

Headed to runoffs in the House are Republicans Fred Brown (incumbent-Byran) against Gerald “Buddy” Winn in HD 14; Paul Workman and Holly Turner in HD 47; John Gordon and Larry Gonzales in HD 52; Mabrie Jackson and Van Taylor in HD 66; Norma Chavez (incumbent-El Paso) and Naomi Gonzalez in HD 76; Delwin Jones (incumbent- Lubbock) and Charles Perry in HD 83; Mark Griffin and John Frullo in HD 84; Dan Huberty and Susan Curling in HD 127; and Jack O’Connor and Dianne Williams in HD 149.

TAFPPAC-endorsed candidate Charles Schwertner, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon from Georgetown, won the Republican nomination for HD 20, filling Rep. Dan Gattis’ vacated seat. He has no democratic challenger in November. Family physician Martin Basaldua, M.D., of Kingwood, did not make the runoff to fill the open seat in HD 127.

To view the list of candidates as they now stand, go to the candidates page of www.tafppac.org.