Craddick's post hinges on contests

[niccolos_smile]

AUSTIN -- House Speaker Tom Craddick's name appears on the Republican Party primary ballot in Midland just as it has for the past 40 years, but voters elsewhere will decide his struggle to hang on to the speaker's powerful gavel.

Craddick narrowly survived two Republican-led challenges to his leadership of the House last year. Further erosion of his support since then means his bid for a fourth term as speaker hinges on the outcome of more than a dozen legislative contests far from his home base.

"It's 50-50, roughly," said Craddick confidant and Capitol consultant Bill Miller. "I think it's going to be in play right through the fall election. And the year sets up for him better than he probably thought it would."

But Kelly Fero, a Democratic campaign consultant, contends that Craddick's fate largely will be cast by next week's election results in both the GOP and Democratic primaries.

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