In the October 2, 2009 Midland Reporter-Telegram, Reporter Dave McNeely wrote an Opinion article, titled “Farabee Retirement Could Cause Shift in Power of Texas Politics”. McNeely highlights State Representative David Farabee’s (D-Wichita Falls) recent announcement of not running for re-election. Farabee is one of the last so called, WD-40’s (White Democrats over forty) in the Texas House of Representatives. McNeely believes this not to be good news for the Texas Democratic Party. He says it is presumed that without a tenured Democrat who is skilled in battling over Republican territory, the seat will fall to a Republican.
McNeely has touch on what is indeed bad news for Texas Democrats seeking to reclaim the majority. The Texas House is currently split 76-74, and the uphill climb to retake the speakership, lost in 2003, will prove even tougher with Farabee’s retirement, as it almost guarantees a Republican House seat pick up for District 69. McNeely is a Texas Capitol veteran and a longtime political reporter who brings credible arguments in his opinion article. His intended audience in this particular Opinion article is the public at large, but he seems to be ringing alarm bells, and calling attention to Democrats on the seriousness of Farabee’s retirement.
I disagree with McNeely’s assessment that national debates on healthcare and the economy will have much effect on the November 2010 HD-69 race. This strongly conservative legislative district only remained in Democratic hands and will doubtfully remain as such, because Farabee’s name identification in the district (his father is a popular former State Senator), his ability to fundraise, and his impeccable fiscal and social conservative record. Any potential Democratic candidate in this race will be hard pressed to match any of these criteria.
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