September 2, 2002

Doctors, Too

TEXPAC, the political appendage of the Texas Medical Association, is mostly sticking with incumbents in the Texas House races, and they left decisions pending on four races for open seats.

The TEXPAC list includes a couple of congressional endorsements, too: They prefer Republican Jeb Hensarling to Democrat Ron Chapman in the CD-5 race that starts in Dallas and pours into rural counties to the east, and they like Democrat Chris Bell over businessman and Republican Tom Reiser in the race for the seat now held by lame-duck U.S. Rep. Ken Bentsen, D-Houston.

The docs endorsed one challenger over an incumbent, saying they prefer Baxter to Kitchen in Austin's HD-48. Otherwise, they endorsed incumbents in races where there are any, even giving a double endorsement in the race between Reps. Hardcastle and Counts. TEXPAC likes Republicans in some races: Byron Cook of Corsicana in HD-8; Jack Stick of Austin in HD-50; Holt Getterman of Waco in HD-56 (he's serving a stub term in the House, but never has served during a legislative session); Ken Paxton of McKinney in HD-70; Scott Campbell of San Angelo in HD-72; Carter Casteel of New Braunfels in HD-73; Jodi Laubenberg of Parker in HD-89; Bill Zedler of Arlington in HD-96; Bill Keffer of Dallas in HD-107; and Dan Branch of Dallas in HD-108. They picked a couple of Democrats, including Gabi Canales of Alice in HD-35; and Timoteo Garza of Eagle Pass in HD-80.

• The political arm of the Texas Association of Family Physicians endorsed Democrat Tony Sanchez over Gov. Rick Perry, staying in line with the Texas Medical Association and citing some of the same things as reasons: The group, which represents 5,000 doctors, didn't like Perry's veto of prompt pay legislation last year.

• Rev. Sterling Lands, a prominent African-American preacher in Austin, switched his endorsement in the attorney general's race from Democrat Kirk Watson, the former mayor of Austin, to Republican Greg Abbott, a former Supreme Court justice. Lands was listed as a supporter on Watson's website as recently as June. He's off their list now and on the list on the other side of the ledger. Lands, pastor of the Greater Calvary Baptist Church, issued a written statement endorsing Abbott without mentioning Watson.