News
Runoff candidates getting ready for races’ last lap
Fields are set for Tarrant County’s runoff elections, but one of the dates remains undecided.
Gov. Rick Perry will choose the date for the runoff between Democrat Dan Barrett and Republican Mark Shelton to represent District 97 in the Texas House of Representatives. The city of Fort Worth has set Dec. 11 for the runoff between Joel Burns and Juan Rangel to represent District 9 on the City Council.
Ashley Burton, a spokeswoman for the Texas secretary of state’s office, said Perry will choose the date for the District 97 race once the votes from the special election have been fully canvassed, which can’t happen before Nov. 15. State law requires that the runoff be held between 20 and 45 days after the vote is canvassed, Burton said.
Tarrant County Elections Administrator Steve Raborn has asked Perry’s office to hold the runoff on Dec. 11.
Tarrant County turnout was 8 percent overall but much higher in areas with special elections on the ballot. In Fort Worth City Council District 9, 18 percent of registered voters cast ballots. In state House District 97, 19 percent of registered voters made it to the polls.
STATE HOUSE RUNOFF PREVIEW
Dan Barrett
How he got this far: Barrett, who got 41 percent of the vote against Anna Mowery last year, was widely expected to make the runoff because he was the only Democrat in the seven-candidate field.
What’s next: Barrett said he’ll focus his runoff campaign on his opposition to House Speaker Tom Craddick, to whom Mark Shelton has pledged his support. “My plans for the next couple of weeks is to talk to the voters and turn them out,” Barrett said.
Mark Shelton
How he got this far: Shelton, head of infectious diseases at Cook Children’s Medical Center, initially focused on healthcare and education but shifted to illegal immigration and property appraisal reform. He also voiced support for House Speaker Tom Craddick and school vouchers. He was the only candidate to directly attack his opponents’ individual backgrounds, via a campaign mailer.
What’s next: Shelton is still working out his strategy, but unifying District 97’s Republican base behind him will be crucial to winning the runoff. “We’ll see what the governor says, when it is, and then we’ll get with my guys and decide how to approach it,” Shelton said.
By the numbers
The five precincts that gave the most votes to Shelton run from Tanglewood down South Hulen Street and then out to Benbrook. Two precincts—one in Mistletoe Heights and one on the South Freeway near Sycamore School Road—gave more than half their votes to Barrett.