Ben Smith of Politico has the story. The candidate’s name is Kesha Rogers and she won the Democratic nomination in a three-way race with 52% of the vote. She’s evidently a supporter of the wacko Lyndon LaRouche. The interesting thing here is that this is a district that elected a Democratic congressman in 2006. The district is in the south and southwest portion of metro Houston, including SugarLand, Tom DeLay’s home town, and areas near the Houston Space Center. In his 2003 redistricting plan, DeLay actually made the district he had represented since 1984 somewhat less Republican in order to help Republicans in adjoining districts. But his legal problems cost him votes: he was reelected 55%-41% in 2004, running far behind George W. Bush’s 64%-36% margin. In addition, many blacks have been moving into the district, reducing its Republican leanings. In 2006 Republican Shelley Sekula-Gibbs won the special election to replace DeLay after his resignation, but in the general election former Congressman Nick Lampson, whose old district had been obliterated by DeLay’s redistricting plan, beat her 52%-42 while spending some $3.5 million.
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