WP: Democrat Plans Run Against DeLay

Democrat Plans Run Against DeLay
Former Texas Lawmaker Lost House Seat in GOP Redistricting

By Mike Allen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 4, 2005; Page A06

Last November, four-term Rep. Nick Lampson (D-Tex.) lost his job after a controversial redrawing of the state's congressional seats -- engineered by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) -- left Lampson in a district that was more than half new to him and much more heavily Republican than before.

Now, with DeLay facing a barrage of questions about lavish overseas trips and close dealings with lobbyists, Lampson wants to settle the score for the redistricting, which cost four veteran Texas congressmen their seats and is known by local Democrats as "Tommymandering."

Lampson, a moderate Democrat and one-time public school teacher from Beaumont, plans to formally file papers as a candidate today and then to move into DeLay's suburban Houston district. He said he will spend $4 million or more to try to defeat the majority leader, using ethics as a major issue.

Two recent polls by local news organizations contained troubling news for DeLay, and Democrats contend that his problems are distracting him from his job and provide them with an unusual opportunity to knock off a GOP leader. DeLay was admonished by the House ethics committee three times last year. When the panel is formally reconstituted this week after a four-month hiatus, it will consider whether to launch a formal investigation of DeLay's travel and dealings with lobbyists.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/03/AR2005050301617.html

Since the other guy dropped out, is Lampson the only Democrat to have announced?

Lampson expected to announce plans to run against DeLay

By Marilyn Tennissen -The News staff writer Posted: 05/03/05 - 09:51:48 pm CDT

A former U.S. representative from Jefferson County will announce his plans to take on the leading Republican in Washington.

Nick Lampson, a Democrat from Beaumont who represented Jefferson County in the U.S. House of Representatives for 12 years, plans to run against Republican Tom DeLay, House majority leader, for the Texas District 22 seat in 2006.

Lampson will announce from his family's home in Stafford at noon Wednesday that he has filed the necessary forms with the federal election commission to raise campaign contributions. He will be required to formally file as a candidate at the end of the year.
(snip)

District 22 does not include any part of Jefferson County, but encompasses the areas on the outskirts of Houston in Fort Bend, Brazoria, Galveston and Harris counties. Lampson represented the 9th District, which did include Jefferson County, until district lines were redrawn under DeLay's leadership. The new District 2 boundaries now includes parts of Harris and Liberty counties. Lampson lost his seat to Republican Ted Poe of Humble in the November election.
(snip/...)

http://www.panews.com/articles/2005/05/04/news/03news.txt



..Lampson speaking..

I lived in Houston (Harris County) for most of my life and Delay was our Rep. I can remember my father (God rest his beautiful soul) despising him for so many years and whenever we'd get those annoying newsletters in the mail from him, my father took great pride in tearing them up and throwing them away. I truly hope Lampson can find the voice that will make those idiots back home wake up from their Delay-induced stupor and finally vote the hammer into permanent retirement. My father would be proud.

What goes around, comes around.

Hope that is only the beginning of such things - Democrats winning in spite of/because of Republican's dirty tricks.

vote R when he says they are against God and Jesus and the flag if they don't.

rich suburban assholes but the outlining towns looked pretty working class to me. I saw LOTS of Morrison signs in Richmond and Rosenberg last election, probably outnumbering Delay 10-1. Morrison only lost 50 something to 40 something and he wasn't a very serious candidate honestly.

Although Lampson is quite conservative in his own right it will be very hard for him to unseat Delay. His district was custom built for him after all.

I really supported Richard Morrison too, but I understand his withdrawal from the race. I don't live in 22 but I do live in Texas, so I support getting rid of this toxic waste DeLay. Lampson may be conservative but he's 1,000 times better than DeLay.

We have to keep airing DeLay's dirty laundry and Lampson could win. The redistricting did give DeLay a less safe district. And what we have to do is make most of those republicans stay home since they won't stomach voting for that corrupt bastard DeLay. Sure he has his portion of constituents that think he's a good man, but they aren't the majority. Most people have working brains and even republicans are getting tired of his corruption. The fact that he's going to get a primary challenge from his own party is pretty telling.

The sharks are circling.

Sonia

He's a good man, works really hard for his constituents. I wish him the best of luck.

(CBS/AP) A former Democratic congressman who lost his job after House Majority Leader Tom DeLay engineered a redistricting of Texas seats is announcing plans to run against the embattled Republican in 2006.

Nick Lampson was expected to file campaign papers from his headquarters in Stafford, Texas, on Wednesday.

Lampson, who served four terms in Congress before being defeated last year, told the Galveston County News he will be "a good alternative to someone who has been distracted, rightly or wrongly, with the swirl of scandal and corruption."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/05/04/politics/main692908.shtml

"Rightly or wrongly" - I think he will have to do better than that if he wants to beat DeLay.