TRAIL BLAZERS

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Speaker Joe Straus saw one of his "cardinals," Longview Republican Tommy Merritt, go down to defeat Tuesday night. But another, Rep. Todd Smith, R-Euless, escaped unscathed from a primary assault.

And party switching Rep. Chuck Hopson, R-Jacksonville, won 61 percent of the GOP primary vote against two challengers in his East Texas district. Straus, R-San Antonio, had put his prestige on the line by strongly backing Hopson.

But another "cardinal," longtime Rep. Delwin Jones, R-Lubbock, couldn't break 40 percent in a three-way GOP primary. He faces Charles Perry in an April runoff.

In late 2008, Straus and 10 other anti-Tom Craddick Republicans joined 64 Democrats behind Straus as a speaker candidate. The move forced Craddick to step aside. Straus lavished plum committee assignments on the 10 Republicans. Now, after Brian McCall of Plano didn't seek re-election and Merritt was upset, enrollment in the "college" has shrunk -- though people like Smith and Fort Worth's Charlie Geren survived Tuesday.

Labor leader Linda Chavez-Thompson won the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor on Tuesday, capturing 53 percent of the primary vote against two opponents. She now faces incumbent Republican Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in the fall in a race that will be an uphill battle for the Democrat. Chavez-Thompson used her support from labor and Hispanic groups to establish a strong position in the race and also outspent her opponents - including former Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle - by a substantial margin.

Chavez-Thompson, 65, of San Antonio, is a former executive vice president of the AFL-CIO and a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee. As a child, she worked in the cotton fields near Lubbock and dropped out of school in the ninth grade to support her family. She later rose to become a local, state and national labor leader. Among the many contributors to her campaign were several national labor organizations, whose donations helped raised about $225,000 for her race.

In seeking the nomination, Chavez-Thompson stayed close to her roots, sounding working class themes and accusing Republican leaders of losing touch with ordinary Texans. She will try to become the first Democrat to hold the state's number two job since Bob Bullock, who left office more than a decade ago. Dewhurst, who was unopposed in the Republican primary on Tuesday, has already raised $2.8 million for his campaign. He is expected to ride strong Republican trends in Texas that date back to the 1990s. No Democrat has held a statewide office since then.

Mount Pleasant Republican Thomas Ratliff narrowly beat State Board of Education member and prominent social conservative Don McLeroy in the GOP primary Tuesday, while long-time board member Geraldine Miller of Dallas was upset by Dallas high school educator George Clayton. Ratliff (right) and McLeroy were expected to have a close race, but Miller was favored in her contest because of a big edge in campaign funds and her long-time incumbency. She has served on the board since 1984 and never had a close election race before.

Ratliff waged a strong campaign and outspent McLeroy for the board seat, which represents Collin County and much of Northeast Texas, but McLeroy also ran a strong race as he tried to capitalize on recent victories by the social conservative bloc on the 15-member education board. Among the successes were changes in curriculum standards for science, history and English. Ratliff accused McLeroy and his allies of ignoring the advice of teachers and education groups in their decisions - and of politicizing the curriculum requirements such as on teaching of evolution in science classes. Ratliff, a legislative consultant and lobbyist, carried 50.5 percent of the vote

McLeroy had been bounced as chairman of the board last summer after Senate Democrats blocked his nomination, raising many of the same arguments as Ratliff, the son of former Lt. Gov. Bill Ratliff. His primary loss means one less seat for the social conservative bloc, which now holds seven seats. Another member of the bloc, Ken Mercer of San Antonio, easily won re-nomination. A third seat of the bloc is headed to a runoff election. Board member Bob Craig of Lubbock, who was challenged by a candidate with social conservative views, easily won his primary race.

I just checked the Texas Election Code, with a bit of help from Bryan Preston at the state Republican Party. Yes, the race has been called for Gov. Rick Perry. Yes, the runner-up, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, conceded.

But what if Perry dips below 50 percent when all the votes are counted? Doesn't that trigger an automatic runoff?

The answer: Yes, but.
Here's the layman's version.

1. Runoff is mandatory if no candidate tops 50 percent.
2. A candidate's "concession" isn't legally binding.
3. All Hutchison needs to do is withdraw, in writing, by 5 p.m. on Friday March 12. Withdrawal makes the other runoff candidate the nominee.
4. There is no scenario for the second runner-up (that is to say, Debra Medina) to get into the runoff just because someone else pulls out of the runoff.

Here's the legal mumbo jumbo:

Gov. Rick Perry said tonight he needs all elements of the Republican coalition built by Ronald Reagan:

"Whether you're a fiscal conservative, whether you're a social conservative, whether you're a Tea Party patriot," Perry said, and then halted. Looking to his right, at his parents Ray and Amelia Perry in the crowd, Perry added, "Heck, Daddy, if you're a disgruntled conservative Democrat, we welcome you to help us. ... We're glad you are in the game and making a difference."

The votes are all counted. Dallas lawyer Clay Jenkins and Dallas County Schools Board President Larry Duncan are headed for a runoff.

With 100 percent of the votes counted, Jenkins got 49.8 percent, while Duncan had 29.7 percent of the vote.

Also, Jim Foster blamed voter fraud for his third-place finish in the Democratic race for county judge.

"I was concerned about the high number of mail ballots," said Foster, who was joined by a tiny band of supporters at the Belmont Hotel in Oak Cliff. "The number of mail ballots indicates there was fraud."

Foster said he has contacted the U.S. Attorney to complain about election irregularities.

Meantime, the Democratic race for Dallas County Judge is being dominated by civil lawyer Clay Jenkins.

With a little more than 100 precincts left to count, Jenkins had 50.09 percent of vote. If that total holds, he'll win the race without a runoff.

Dallas County Schools Board President Larry Duncan was second incumbent Jim Foster was a distant third.

Jenkins said he was hopeful that his lead would hold.

"We had a great Election Day campaign," he said.

The winner of the Democratic primary will face Republican Wade Emmert in November.

Emmert ran unopposed in the GOP primary.

WASHINGTON--U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, tonight issued the following statement regarding the results of today's Republican Primary:

Sen. John Cornyn, Texas' junior senator and head of the Republicans' Senate campaign committee, issued a statement congratulating Gov. Rick Perry and urging party unity -- including not only the Hutchison forces but also, he implies, the Tea Party folks.

Interestingly, the statement doesn't mention Hutchison and her future. He has said publicly that he hopes she remains in the Senate -- in part because the party wants to avoid having to worry, and spend money, defending the seat in a special election.

Here's his statement.

Strangely enough, Debra Medina -- clearly in 3d place -- hasn't conceded yet, while Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison has.

Hutchison left no doubt that she will support Gov. Rick Perry. She urged supporters to support him. Here's what she said:
"Now we must unite. We must win Texas for Republicans and our conservative principals in November.... A contested primary will naturally leave some hard feelings, but I ask my supporters tonight, all through Texas, to join me and unite behind Gov. Perry. That is what will be best, for all of us and for Texas. Our party must come together. We must put aside our differences. We must embrace the new people who have come into our party today and work to elect Republican leaders who will lead our state and our nation out of this recession."

Those differences are pretty big. There's no love lost between Perry and Hutchison, and plenty of her supporters aren't and never have been big fans of the governor. But gestures like this can go a long way toward healing the wounds after this mudbath of a primary.

Rick Perry cast his victory tonight as yet another sign that American conservatism is alive and well.

Though some wrote off the conservative movement and the GOP after the 2008 national elections, Perry said, "The message is pretty clear. Conservatism has never been stronger than it is today. And we're taking our country back -- one vote at a time, one election at a time!"

Perry spoke to supporters after winning renomination to a third full term without a runoff. He was introduced to the crowd by his wife, Anita, who called him "a man who makes tough decisions." Their daughter, Sydney, a Texas A&M student, stood beside them.

While Perry said Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison was gracious in an offer to help him unify the Republican Party, he told Texans to expect the Obama administration and national Democrats to put Texas "in their cross hairs."

Photo: Michael Ainsworth/DMN

Incumbent Rick Perry's not surprised he won without a runoff tonight, and is eager to talk about "record deficits" in Democratic gubernatorial nominee Bill White's Houston, said Perry spokesman Mark Miner.

"Texas voters tonight chose Gov. Perry because of his leadership of the state and his vision for the future," Miner said at The Salt Lick barbecue eatery in Driftwood, Tex.

The Republican governor wasn't surprised that Hutchison conceded, Miner said.

"We were confident all along that Gov. Perry's message of job creation, positioning Texas to be better off than almost any other state in the country, would resonate with voters," Miner said. "And it did tonight."

The senator has called Gov. Rick Perry and Debra Medina and just conceded defeat. She is on stage now.

"We have fought valiantly for our principles but we did not win," she said.

About 10 minutes ago, longtime friend Jeanne Johnson Phillips told the crowd at Eddie Deen's Ranch that the senator was on the way shortly. This was after the TV screens went blank -- often a sign that the news is bad.

It's Hill Country cold at Gov. Rick Perry's election watch party at The Salt Lick Pavilion in Driftwood -- at least at tables outside a special events building. But talk of a down-ballot upset is keeping the political tongues wagging.

Texas Railroad Commission Chairman Victor Carrillo trails Midland CPA David Porter, 60-40, with nearly one-quarter of precincts reporting. Continuing the Texas GOP's efforts at diversity, Perry appointed Carrillo and helped get him elected in his own right. But speculation rages that yet another Hispanic may be going down to defeat in a GOP primary ...

Meanwhile, Perry supporters huddled around a fire pit to melt marshmallows to make "s'mores" -- in keeping with the guv's Boy Scout image, you know.

The folks over at the Republican Governors Association were just waiting to hit the send button on their statement regarding Bill White's nomination as the Democratic pick for Texas governor.

Eecutive director Nick Ayers says the RGA won't take anything for granted, but "we would be a lot more concerned if Bill White were the Democratic candidate in New York where his opposition to the 2nd Amendment, push for tax increases, and staunch support for other items on the leftist agenda might be a bit more palatable. It is going to cost the Democratic Governors Association a lot more than a half-million dollars of trial lawyer and big labor union money to give Bill White's record the extreme makeover it needs.

"Once Texans get a clear picture of Bill White's liberal record, I think they will collectively say, 'Houston, we have a problem.'"

No sign yet of Hutchison at her Election Night party at Eddie Deen's Ranch, a barbecue event venue near the Dallas Convention Center. She's still at a nearby hotel.

Hardly anyone here when polls closed and the first early returns trickled in, but an hour later, there's a line for the food and at least 150 folks, and counting. A country group just started playing. First song includes the lyrics "I ain't the kind of woman/to stay up all night/but what if I was."...

Campaign aides are in a back room keeping a close eye on vote totals and running scenarios. If Perry wins outright, expect Hutchison to be gracious tonight and nowhere to be seen tomorrow, to let him have the day. If she forces a runoff, the buzz phrase is 'reset button." It's a fresh campaign. More than half the state's Republicans didn't want to give him another term, they'll say. And Hutchison will be much more aggressive about trying to keep the conversation focused on Texas issues. He's had his chance to whack at Washington. Now Hutchison will say - more effectively than she has already, one assumes - that she agrees. Washington is full of problems and she's fought them, but let's talk about Texas.

UPDATE (12:40 a.m.): Final Dallas County results are finally in, and a runoff it is. Stephen Broden of DeSoto will face Sheldon Goldstein of Dallas in six weeks. Broden was less than 50 votes away from an outright win. They're running in District 30, and the winner will face Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Dallas.

Updated at 11:49 p.m.

The National Republican Congressional Committee isn't backing down on its goal to go after Texas Democrats Rep. Chet Edwards and Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, despite the fact that both GOP primaries in those districts remain undecided.

Bill Flores and Rob Curnock are headed for a runoff in their effort to challenge Edwards, and Quico Canseco and Will Hurd will face each other in a runoff to run against Rodriguez.

The NRCC praised all four GOP candidates and had fighting words for Edwards and Rodriguez:

To Edwards: "In a year when all Democrats will be on the defensive and trying to separate themselves from the Democrat leadership, Edwards will have a tough time in the general election when he will be forced to defend his support for a toxic Democrat agenda that he supports 98 percent of the time."

To Rodriguez: "Rodriguez's liberal voting record has put him in contrast with the residents of San Antonio and the conservative Hispanic population along the Texas border. "

UPDATE: 1:00 a.m.

Hank Gilbert has won the Democratic nomination for agriculture commissioner, beating Kinky Friedman 52 percent to 48 percent.

UPDATE: 11:30 p.m.

Gilbert will beat Friedman with closer to 30,000 more votes. The race was called two hours ago. Gilbert has 53 percent to Friedman's 47 percent with 80 percent of precincts reported.

Just so you know.

UPDATE: 10:45

The race was called an hour ago, but the near final tallies show Gilbert with 60,000 more votes than Friedman. Gilbert has 57 percent to Friedman's 44 percent with 70 percent of precincts reported.

UPDATE: 9:50 p.m.

AP just called the race in favor of Hank Gilbert with almost half the precincts reported.

"I'm glad it's coming to a close because I know the next opponent I have will at least engage in issues," Gilbert said from a Tyler pub. "We are ready to get to that point, people need to know what is going on."

Friedman was also relieved the race was over.

"Texas's loss is Texas Monthly's gain," said Friedman, who writes a column for the magazine when he's not running for office.

He spoke amid his watch party din at a Mexican restaurant in Austin.

UPDATE: 9:43 p.m.

Gilbert has broadened his lead to almost 30,000 votes. The race remains 54 percent to 46 percent with almost 40 percent of precincts reported.

UPDATE: 8:57 p.m.

Gilbert maintains his 20,000 vote lead over Friedman, with almost 14 percent of precincts reported. It remains the same: 54 percent to 46 percent.

UPDATE: 8:30 p.m.

Gilbert is holding onto his lead with 5 percent of precincts reported. He's up 20,000 votes and still has 54 percent to Friedman's 46 percent.

UPDATE: 8 p.m.

Friedman still trails Gilbert by about 11,000 votes, with just 2 percent of precincts reported. Gilbert now has 54 percent to Friedman's 46 percent. Keep watching. It's close.

UPDATE: 7:28

Early voting shows Gilbert ahead by about 11,000 votes. He leads 56 percent to Friedman's 44 percent. Only 75 precincts have reported out of 8,380.

Original post at 7 p.m.

An unusually lively Democratic agriculture commissioner race comes to a close tonight.

East Texas rancher Hank Gilbert is up against author-musician Kinky Friedman. We'll update the blog throughout the evening as results come in. Polls just closed.

Hi folks. Theodore Kim here. Amid all the primary hoopla are some pretty good state legislative races. We'll be updating this blog post tonight with major developments as they unfold around the area.

UPDATE 12:36 p.m. Incumbent Burt Solomons won re-election in District 65 of the state legislature, but faced strong competition from Tea Party favorite Mike Murphy. With all 39 precincts counted in Denton County, Solomons took about 53 percent of the vote to Murphy's 47 percent. This was the second race for Murphy, a political consultant who unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Congress in 2004 against an incumbent.

UPDATE 12:07 p.m. | We're signing off for the night. To check on full results of all the state legislative races statewide, pull up the results on the Texas Secretary of State's site here. Thanks all.

UPDATE 11:07 p.m. | From colleague Dianne Solis:

Incumbent Burt Solomons maintains his slim lead over Mike Murphy, a Tea Party favorite, with the tally in for 8 out of 39 precincts and early voting in District 65 in the Texas lege.

Late into the evening, Murphy, a 36-year-old political consultant, says he's sitting tight, watching returns on the Internet.

"We are optimistic," Murphy said by phone tonight. "Voters have a choice for the first time in eight years," he says. "People turned out for the issues and not the same politics as usual."

Both men are Republicans. Murphy positioned himself as the "true conservative." Solomons, a 59-year-old lawyer, has held the statehouse post for 16 years. Solomons chairs the influential state affairs committee.

UPDATE 11:01 p.m. (from Brandon Formby) | Loretta Haldenwang has won the Democratic nomination for the Texas House District 105 seat that covers most of Irving. She handily beat Kim Limberg and will now face incumbent Republican State Rep. Linda Harper-Brown, who famously won by 19 votes in 2008.

To continue this post, click on the link below...

Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Dallas, and Indiana colleague Mike Pence announced this afternoon a proposal to amend the Constitution in order to reign in federal spending.

The "Spending Limit Amendment" would cap federal spending at one-fifth of the economy -- "our historical spending average since World War II," they say. Congress could only waive the limit with a declaration of war, or by a 2/3 vote.

"For the first time, the federal government would have a limit on its size and scope. The Spending Limit Amendment does not promise a particular spending plan about what programs to restrain and by how much. Rather, it puts a legal constraint on lawmakers present and future," Hensarling and Pence said in a statement.

Here's the heart of their proposal, which would take effect five years after ratification (which as any civics teacher would tell you is not easy):