State representative candidate for District 78 Dee Margo is working the campaign. Last week, he had a fund-raiser in Austin. His challenger, Joseph Moody, used the occasion to call upon Margo to adhere to federal campaign donation rules. Margo declined. [march 26, 2008 inner loop]
Wednesday (April 2, 2008), Margo’s campaign sent a memo explaining why the conventional wisdom about Moody’s numbers advantage is wrong. [feb. 1, 2008 npt background]
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MEMO
TO: Team Margo
RE: The Truth About HD-78
TEXAS HD-78 GENERAL ELECTION VOTE HISTORY ANALYSIS
An in-depth review of election results over the last several election cycles in District 78 demonstrates a history of GOP candidates consistently receiving the majority of votes cast in general election contests.
Key findings that underscore the Republican nature of HD-78:
-- In the November 2006 election against long-time Democrat incumbent Senator Eliot Shapleigh, Dee Margo carried HD-78 with 54% of the vote, outperforming his district wide total by 13 points.
-- Unlike the other house districts in El Paso, the Democrats do not possess a straight ticket voting advantage in HD-78. The number of Democrat and Republican straight ticket votes cast in HD-78 are relatively equal, while the other four El Paso house districts have two to five times more Democrat straight ticket votes cast than Republican straight ticket votes cast within these districts.
-- The vast majority of statewide Republican candidates on the ballot have received a majority of the general election vote within HD-78 over the last several election cycles.
In recent elections, many Republican statewide candidates who purchased television advertising in the El Paso media market attained even higher levels of ballot support within HD-78 than they received statewide. In the 2006 general election, Kay Bailey Hutchison received 62.1% of the votes cast in the U.S. Senate race in HD-78, while her statewide total was 61.7%. Similarly, Susan Combs received 60.2% of the vote for Comptroller within HD-78 while receiving 59.5% of the statewide vote.
With past election performance as the best indicator in determining the partisan vote behavior of the district, HD-78 remains a decidedly Republican district for the foreseeable future.
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While this is encouraging news, we still have a long way to go. The Austin Democrats and the trial lawyers have already targeted our District as one they think they can win, and will stop at nothing to do so. I need your help to get an early start and begin building our resources to prepare for the November election. Will you join me in giving El Paso the tested, experienced leadership it deserves?
I look forward to seeing you on the campaign trail.
John Q
April 3, 2008
Poor Dee Margo. His tunnel vision has kicked in big time.
He ignores the fact that his performance in the primary election was abysmal. Margo received 5080 votes -- far less than half the number of votes cast for Joe Moody. In fact, Margo received 7,909 votes LESS than Moody and only 85 votes more than Dr. Louis Irvin, the runner-up in the Democratic Primary. Margo edged Pat Haggerty by just 1192 votes in the primary election -- a very poor showing given the huge amount of money Margo received from the Republican billionaires who support him and Rick Perry.
Margo's tunnel vision apparently blinds him to his own poor showing in the recent primary election. Perhaps his chances might improve if he actually lived in the district he seeks to represent in the Texas legislature.
Ken G
April 3, 2008
Pat Haggerty received support from both parties since he was considered an Indepent by most voters. Margo may have big backers but no popular support. Kid Moody wll win. How stupid.
Joe Moody has the advantage of an ethics based campaign
April 3, 2008
Joe Moody has the right idea. With popular support and a willingness to conduct his campaign in an ethical manner people will go out and vote for him.
EP needs more leaders with this attitude. The rude, boarish, sarcastic attitude by Margo when he made those comments about Joe Moody's father being a judge shows bad judgement.
Who wants more tacky Craddick /Perry/Bush "ignore the law"power grabbers?
Ray Snare
April 3, 2008
Texans didnt like carpet baggers from the North following the Civil War,
I dont like a carpet bagger moving into my district to be backed by out of towner Money Bags trying to buy votes.
It is our District, let us vote in it with out of town carpet baggers money
trying to control us!
chacal
April 3, 2008
conventional wisdom knows the only reason why haggarty lost was because it was more important at the time for democrats to vote in the democratic primary, which will now point the way for a huge win for the more qualified and ethical moody.
Jim Iholts
April 4, 2008
I made the suggestion (on NPT) before the primary that Margo might win the Republican Primary, but could lose in the general election. The repubs in Austin were so bent on shooting Haggerty out of office that they shot themselves in the foot in the process. Go Moody!
Al B
April 9, 2008
The Only Tunnel Vision in El Paso, is from Democrats... Someday they will figure why El Paso doesn't count in Austin.....
hint... Evrer notice how cities with Demo reps don't count?
I've been watching this for 40yrs... Hey Speaking Rock... trying voting in a REPUBLICAN..... you'll at least get a fair shake... instead of having to buy your way in.