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WASHINGTON — The death of a Rockwall judge killed by a wrong-way driver on Saturday night has thrown an unusual congressional race into disarray.
More than 15 Republicans have been vying to replace John Ratcliffe, who stepped down two months ago after winning Senate confirmation to serve as director of national intelligence.
David Bridges of Rockwall, a justice on the 5th District state appeals court since 1996, was viewed as a leading contender for the seat, along with Ratcliffe’s former district chief of staff Jason Ross and state Sen. Pat Fallon of Prosper, who is backed by Sen. Ted Cruz.
More than 150 Republican county chairs and precinct chairs from the East Texas district will meet on Aug. 8 in Sulphur Springs to pick a nominee.
It’s one of the most Republican districts in the country — President Donald Trump won 75% there in 2016 –, so whoever wins over the small group of insiders is almost certain to become a member of Congress in January.
Bridges was driving on Interstate 30 east of Dallas when a woman driving the wrong way crashed into his car. Royse City police charged her with intoxication manslaughter. Bridges died at the scene.
Under state election law, the state GOP chair has the authority to convene a so called “executive committee” in the district to replace a nominee who drops out of a race.
That committee will pick the GOP nominee to face Democrat Russell Foster in November.
Hunt County Republican Party Chairman David Hale had endorsed Bridges, a friend. He’s now having to weigh a fallback choice.
Other Republicans who have thrown their names into the race include Rockwall Mayor Jim Pruitt and city council member Trace Johannesen; Rockwall attorney Casey Campbell; Navy veteran T.C. Manning of Sherman; the mayor of Atlanta, Texas, Travis Ransom; and Bowie County resident Bob Worthen.
Walter Casey, a political scientist at Texas A&M Texarkana, said the large field makes it difficult for candidates to stand out, and the candidates all hold similar positions tied to the Republican Party platform and support for President Donald Trump.
The executive committee process is uncommon enough. Usually, vacancies are filled by special election, but time was short by the time Ratcliffe was confirmed.
Turnover at the top of the Texas Republican Party has added to the uncertainty.
Earlier this month, state chairman James Dickey, who called the Aug. 8 election, was unseated by former Florida congressman Allen West.
Hale, for one, expects the Aug. 8 election to go on as planned. But West has yet to confirm that, and party aides have not responded to requests for comment since he took over.
The coronavirus pandemic delayed the Texas primary runoff elections for 2 months, forcing Dickey to delay until after precinct chair elections were complete.
“This is unusual, but there’s always twists and turns in politics,” Hale said. “This might just be extra special for how many twists and turns it’s taken.”
Ratcliffe served as mayor of Heath, a small town in Rockwall County, and as U.S. attorney for East Texas during the George W. Bush administration. He unseated longtime congressman Ralph Hall in the 2014 GOP primary, and left Congress on May 22 before finishing his third term.