Quorum Report says that the runoff in the Congressional District 23 special election has been set for Dec. 12, with early voting beginning Dec. 4. (We have yet to confirm this info ourselves – no information could be found on the Secretary of State Web site as of this writing.) The CD 23 race offers a chance for the Democrats to add yet another seat to their new Congressional majority, but Texas Monthly‘s Paul Burka casts doubt on whether Ciro Rodriguez is up to the task, reporting that Rodriguez is a bit out of touch with reality – Rodriguez seems to think that he can knock off incumbent Republican Henry Bonilla without raising serious cash and without accepting help from the national or state parties. It will be a shame if Rodriguez’s naivete/idealism blows this opportunity, because the first round of the special election on Nov. 7 indicated he should have a real chance in this district that runs from San Antonio almost to El Paso: Bonilla took 48.6% of the vote, while Rodriguez and the other five Democrats in the race combined for 48.7%. Given that Rodriguez got into the runoff with only 19.87%, he should realize what an uphill struggle he faces to convince all those other voters that he is the right Dem to represent the district.
This article appears in November 17 • 2006.