Texas's 22nd congressional district

Infobox U.S. congressional district
state=Texas
district number=22

---

image width=350
representative = Nick Lampson
party = Democratic
population=651,619
population year=2000
median income=57,932
percent white=71.3
percent black=9.4
percent asian=8.0
percent native american=0.4
percent hispanic=20.3
percent other race=0.6
cpvi=R+15

Texas District 22 of the United States House of Representatives is the Congressional district that covers a south-central portion of the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metropolitan area. It includes the cities of Rosenberg and La Marque as well as portions of Missouri City and Pearland, in Fort Bend, Harris, Galveston, and Brazoria counties. In 2006, 52% of poll respondents identified themselves as Republicans, 32% as Democrats, and 16% as independents. [cite news|url=http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA103006.01B.22ndDistrictRace.35296db.html|title=Write-in for DeLay spot has a shot|author=Meck, Kristen|work=Houston Chronicle|date=2006-10-30]

The district is represented by Democrat Nick Lampson.

Recent elections

1974

Incumbent Democrat Robert R. Casey defeated ob/gyn Ron Paul, a delegate to the Texas Republican convention; Democrats won 1974 heavily.

1976 special

When President Gerald Ford appointed Casey to head the Federal Maritime Commission, Paul won a 1976 special election to fill the empty seat, against Democrat Robert Gammage; Paul was sworn in on April 3. Paul had decided to enter politics on August 15 1971, when President Richard Nixon closed the "gold window" by implementing the U.S. dollar's complete departure from the gold standard, saying later, "After that day, all money would be political money rather than money of real value. I was astounded."cite web|url=http://www.texasmonthly.com/2001-10-01/feature7.php|title=Dr. No|author=Gwynne, Sam C.|date=2001-10-01|accessdate=2007-10-23|work=Texas Monthly]

Paul was the first Republican representative from the area for some time; he also led the Texas Reagan delegation at the national Republican convention.cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgF-s1voM_Y|title=The Ron Paul Story|format=YouTube|accessdate=2007-06-14] His successful campaign against Gammage surprised local Democrats, who had expected to retain the seat easily in the wake of the Watergate scandal. Gammage underestimated Paul's support among local mothers: "I had real difficulty down in Brazoria County, where he practiced, because he'd delivered half the babies in the county. There were only two obstetricians in the county, and the other one was his partner." [cite news|url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15016924|title=Paul Has Long Drawn Support from Unlikely Places|publisher=National Public Radio|date=2007-10-07|accessdate=2007-10-23|author=Goodwyn, Wade|work=the '08 Candidates' First Campaign]

1976 general

Gammage defeated Paul some months later in the general election, by fewer than 300 votes (0.2%).

1978

Paul defeated Gammage in a 1978 rematch.

1980

Paul won a new term in 1980.

1982

Paul won a new term in 1982.

1984

In 1984, Paul chose to run for the U.S. Senate instead of re-election to the House. [cite news|publisher=National Public Radio|date=2007-07-26|author=Rudin, Ken|accessdate=2008-03-22|title=Ron Paul, George and Ringo|work=Political Junkie] He was succeeded by former state representative Tom DeLay. [cite web|url=http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/legis/members/roster.cfm?leg=68|title=Members and leaders of the Texas Legislature|accessdate=2007-07-08|publisher=Legislative Reference Library of Texas]

2004

Election box candidate with party link
party=Republican Party (US)
candidate=Tom DeLay
votes=150,386
percentage=55.2
change=-8.0Election box candidate with party link
party=Democratic Party (US)
candidate=Richard Morrison
votes=112,034
percentage=41.1
change=+6.0Election box candidate
party=Independent
candidate=Michael Fjetland
votes=5,314
percentage=1.9
change=+1.9Election box candidate with party link
party=Libertarian Party (US)
candidate=Tom Morrison
votes=4,886
percentage=1.8
change=+0.8Election box majority
votes=38,352
percentage=14.1
change=Election box turnout
votes=272,620
percentage=
change=Election box hold with party link
winner=Republican Party (US)
swing=-7.0

2006 special

On January 2 2006, Nick Lampson, a Jefferson County tax assessor-collector, filed to challenge incumbent Tom DeLay for the 2006 general election, as a Democrat. Lampson had represented the adjacent ushr|Texas|9|ninth district until DeLay engineered the 2003 Texas redistricting, after which Lampson lost his seat to Republican Ted Poe in 2004.

DeLay won the Republican primary on March 7 2006, taking 62% of the vote in the four-way race. [cite web|url=http://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist.exe|title=2006 Republican Party Primary Election|publisher=Texas Secretary of State] It was DeLay's weakest showing in a primary election, which prompted questions about whether he could win the general election. On April 3 2006, three days after former aide Tony Rudy pleaded guilty to various charges of corruption relating to the Jack Abramoff scandal, DeLay announced that he would withdraw from the race and not run for re-election. [cite news|url=http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=c1d788cf5a967e2f|title=Tom DeLay to step down|work=Galveston County Daily News|date=2006-04-04|author=Aulds, T.J] [cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/04/03/delay.election/index.html|title=Sources: DeLay to leave House re-election race|publisher=CNN|date=2006-04-03|accessdate=2006-04-19|author=Bash, Dana]

Under Texas law, however, the Republican Party could not legally name another candidate for the 2006 general election. DeLay announced on August 8 2006 that he would withdraw in order to allow the party to organize a campaign for a write-in candidate. Texas Governor Rick Perry announced on August 29 2006 that a special election would take place for the remainder of DeLay's term (November 2006 to January 2007).

The Texas Republican Party supported Houston City Councilwoman Shelley Sekula-Gibbs as their write-in candidate. [cite news|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/08/18/ap/politics/mainD8JIJM3G0.shtml|publisher=CBS News|title=Texas GOP Back Houston Councilwoman: Texas Republicans back Houston councilwoman as write-in nominee over DeLay|date=2006-08-18|accessdate=2008-05-03|author=Lozano, Juan A] Lampson chose not to run in the special election. Sekula-Gibbs won and was sworn in on November 13 2006. She represented the district for the remaining few weeks of the 109th United States Congress. Sekula-Gibbs promised to fix health care, taxes, and immigration.

2006 general

Due to DeLay's late announcement, no Republican was listed on the ballot for the two-year term that began in January 2007. [cite web|url=http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/forms/candidates/2006gen.pdf|format=PDF|title=Races with Candidates with Addresses Report: 2006 General Election|publisher=Texas Secretary of State|date=2006-11-07|accessdate=2008-05-03]

The special election was held concurrently with the general election on November 7 2006. Voters cast votes twice on that date, once for the special election, once for the general election. This arrangement ensured that Sekula-Gibbs's name appeared on a November 7 ballot.

Lampson won the general election, and was sworn in on January 4 2007.

Election box candidate with party link
party=Democratic Party (US)
candidate=Nick Lampson
votes=71,122
percentage=50.8
change=+9.7Election box candidate with party link
party=Republican Party (US)
candidate=Shelley Sekula-Gibbs (write-in)
votes=59,914
percentage=42.8
change=-12.4Election box candidate with party link
party=Libertarian Party (US)
candidate=Bob Smither
votes=8,482
percentage=6.1
change=+4.2Election box candidate with party link
party=Republican Party (US)
candidate=Don Richardson (write-in)
votes=408
percentage=0.3
change=Election box candidate
party=Independent
candidate=Joe Reasbeck (write-in)
votes=86
percentage=0.1
change=Election box majority
votes=11,208
percentage=8.0
change=-6.1Election box turnout
votes=140,012
percentage=
change=Election box gain with party link
winner=Democratic Party (US)
loser=Republican Party (US)
swing=

2008

In addition to Sekula-Gibbs, the following candidates ran in the Republican primary:
*Pete Olson, who won the primary. Former Navy pilot and former Senate liaison officer. Assistant to Phil Gramm. Chief of staff for Senator John Cornyn from 2002 to 2007.
*Kevyn Bazzy, Army Reservist. Graduate of the University of Houston who served in Iraq as a civilian intelligence officer for U.S. Central Command in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
*Cynthia Dunbar, graduate of Regent University School of Law, former director of governmental affairs for Fort Bend County Precinct 3, and member of the Texas State Board of Education District 10. [cite web|url=http://www.cynthiadunbar.com/biography.htm|title=Biography of Cynthia Dunbar]
*Dean Hrbacek, former councilman and mayor of Sugar Land. A business attorney, board certified in tax law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and a Certified Public Accountant.
*Brian Klock, naval reserve commander. President of the Greater Houston Council of the Navy League and former president of the Military Officers Association of America, Houston Chapter. Formerly financial advisor with Merrill Lynch. Twice deployed to the Balkans in support of Naval and Marine forces, and recalled to duty after the September 11, 2001, attacks to support U.S. forces in Operation Enduring Freedom.
*John Manlove, former councilman and mayor of Pasadena, who resigned to run for Congress. Businessman and former missionary to Latin America.
*Ryan Rowley, computer professional, NASA and Department of Defense contractor, oil industry consultant, and military veteran.
*James D. Squier, Harris County Family District Court Judge for 20 years.
*Robert Talton, state representative since 1992. Former police officer, prosecutor, city attorney, municipal court judge, and attorney in private practice.Olson and incumbent Lampson are faced in the scheduled 2008 election by John Wieder, Libertarian, Vietnam veteran, retired businessman, and community volunteer.

References