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Fight for new congressional district gets hot
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Race
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| Contributor | User 13 |
| Last Edited | User 13 Feb 06, 2004 03:53pm |
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| Category | News |
| News Date | Friday, February 6, 2004 06:00:00 AM UTC0:0 |
| Description | The battle for the hearts, minds and votes of Central Texas Democrats in the newly configured 25th Congressional District gets under way in earnest this week. And if the opening round is any indication, the battle will be heated.
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Austin, targeted for defeat by Republicans in last year's redistricting fracas, is waging a primary campaign against former Hidalgo County Judge Leticia Hinojosa in the long, narrow "fajita strip" district that stretches 350 miles from East Austin to the Mexican border. About seven of every 10 voters in the district are Hispanic.
In their first real clash last week, both Doggett and Hinojosa actively sought the endorsement of a relatively small group — the Austin chapter of the Tejano Democrats. The group, at the urging of state Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos, D-Austin, went with Hinojosa by a margin of 69 percent to 31 percent.
Doggett came out swinging Monday at Barrientos, who is championing Hinojosa in the district that Republicans say they drew with the goal of electing a Hispanic.
"It is hardly surprising that the Barrientos family club has accepted his endorsement in this race," Doggett said, referring to the Tejano Democrats. "Much more significant is the United Farm Workers (in the Rio Grande Valley) recommending me for endorsement."
"He said what?" Barrientos responded when asked about Doggett's remark.
"I resent my family being brought into his politics, and while my thoughts were that the people of the district should decide, if the other side keeps coming up with this kind of stuff, I might get up a little more energy for this campaign," he said.
Barrientos has recorded a series of ads for Hinojosa that will begin airing on Spanish-language radio in Austin and Central Texas this week.
The Democratic Party establishment in Austin has criticized Barrientos for endorsing Hinojosa in her inaugural run for Congress against Doggett, a 10-year veteran.
The battle for endorsements will hea |
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