Newest Texas House member loses special election

[tanyev]

AUSTIN, Texas — Rep. Van Taylor was defeated Saturday in a special election that was supposed to have been canceled after the secretary of state declared him the winner and he was sworn into the Texas House.

Republican Mabrie Jackson, who withdrew her name too late to have it removed from the ballot, defeated Taylor by about 300 votes, 56 percent to 44 percent, in the Plano election.

Secretary of State Hope Andrade declared Taylor the winner last month and he was sworn in to the Texas House on April 20.

Republican consultant Eric Bearse said the validity of her win largely depended on whether Andrade properly notified the Collin County clerk's office of the cancellation. The clerk's office was closed and could not be reached for comment Sunday.

Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/05/09/2175194/newest-texas-house-member-loses.html#ixzz0nWrXpCr9



Ha! Van Taylor is a carpet-bagging teabagger, and the original race between him and Jackson got pretty ugly. Too bad there's no Dem running against him in November.

[sonias]

1. ROFL

What a HUGH mistake! Either way it's egg all over their faces. The R party and the SoS who also happens to be a Republican. Just saying.

:rofl:

[tanyev]

4. How to have fun voting in a special election :)

I confess, I voted for Jackson. Hey, if they're going to leave that option available on the voting machine....

[sonias]

5. I'd have done the same thing given the opportunity

...to mess with them.
:hug:

[sonias]

2. The wrong candidate gets more votes in House race

First Reading blog AAS 5/10/10
The wrong candidate gets more votes in House race

(snip)
Oops. Jackson got more votes. But Taylor had already been declared the winner and will stay the winner.

Here’s what Randall Dillard, a spokesman for the secretary of state’s office, told me on Sunday: "Mabrie Jackson filed a timely, written and effective withdrawal under state law from the special election in House District 66. Pursuant to state law, once this occurred Van Taylor was unopposed and the Election Code granted the Secretary of State the authority to declare Mr. Taylor elected.

"At that point, the election was not to be held and the law required the entity conducting the election—Collin County—to post the declaration of election the Secretary of State issued in regard to Mr. Taylor in the polling places that would be used in the special election. In this case, however, the county was not able remove Ms. Jackson’s name from the ballot, nor could it remove the special election from the ballot, apparently because of the voting technology used and the fact the county had planned to hold joint elections.

"In sum, Mr. Taylor was duly declared elected following Ms. Jackson’s withdrawal."

Another reason those damn e-voting machines are worthless. You would think that a quick fix to remove the race could be performed - but nooooo. This e-voting crap is way too complicated for counties to manage on their own. So they get stuck with egg on their face. And how about the voters that obviously wanted Jackson elected more than Van Taylor?

One thing for sure next election cycle in 2 years any opponent to Van Taylor can point to his loss and say voters wanted to change their minds just two short months after he got elected. Next time vote him out early.

[sonias]

3. Jackson Beats Taylor

Texas Tribune 5/9/10
2010: Jackson Beats Taylor
Mabrie Jackson, who pulled out of the race for state Rep. Brian McCall's unexpired term, beat Van Taylor in Saturday's special election, winning 56 percent of the vote to his 44 percent, according to Collin County's election results.

That's a little awkward.

(snip)
Turnout was lower in the special than in the runoff or the primary, probably because both candidates were campaigning. And they weren't campaigning this time because ... it's over. Jackson pulled out of the special election. The Secretary of State named Taylor the only candidate and therefore the winner, calling the result and ending the race. And Collin County let it tail out, counting votes in an already decided election where no one asked for support.