FreePAC Fails

Despite thousands of last-minute attack mailers from the ultra-conservative Free Enterprise PAC (“FreePAC“) accusing them of promoting the “radical homosexual agenda,” most GOP moderates (known to foes as “RINOs,” for “Republicans-In-Name-Only”) made short work of their hard-right opponents:

Senate District 1: Bill Ratliff (72.5%)

Senate District 17: Kyle Janek (63%)

Senate District 22: Kip Averitt (62.5%)

Senate District 25: Jeff Wentworth (51.2%)*

House District 7: Tommy Merritt (63.9%)

House District 66: Brian McCall (66.2%)

At press time, the District 25 race remained too close to call. Another FreePAC target was Rep. Delwin Jones of Lubbock — the only GOP incumbent to be paired during redistricting with a fellow incumbent, Gary Walker of Plains. Jones, who chaired the House redistricting committee, hacked off non-RINOs (as did Wentworth, his Senate counterpart) for being too friendly to Democrats. Jones defeated Walker with 52.3% of the vote.

This article appears in March 15 • 2002.

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