Aside from the well-publicized presidential primaries this week, Texas and Ohio also held primaries to determine their slates of Congressional candidates for November. In addition, Louisiana held two primary elections yesterday to determine candidates for the May 3 special elections in the 1st and 6th Congressional Districts.
There's some exciting news.
LA-06: Good news and bad news here. The bad news is that we face a runoff for the nomination in the special election to fill Richard Baker's seat, between State Reps Don Cazayoux and Michael Jackson. The good news, however, is that the Republicans face a runoff too, as their frontrunner, former State Rep. Woody Jenkins (who nearly won a U.S. Senate seat in 1996) will face off against fellow Republican Laurinda Calongne.
OH-02: It's going to be Schmidt vs. Wulsin Round II, as our beloved Mean Jean fended off a primary challenge from state Rep. Tom Brinkman (whom she also beat in 2005). Democrat Vic Wulsin, who lost so narrowly last year, also beat a primary challenger.
Schmidt will lose her seat eventually, either to a Dem or a fellow Republican. On our side, we're set up as well for victory here as we possibly could be.
OH-10: Kucinich returns! He managed to figure out how to raise funds when it looked as though his seat was in danger, and he easily beat back a challenge from Cleveland City Councilor Joe Cimperman. Dennis should cruise to reelection in the fall, of course.
OH-16: On the Republican side, State Sen. Kirk Schuring won a close 47-42 victory over Ashland County Commissioner Matt Miller. Schuring can look forward to a slugfest in this swing district against Democratic State Sen. John Boccieri.
OH-18: Charlie Cook has moved this race to "Likely Democratic" since the Republican primary, won by former state Agriculture Director Fred Dailey. Democratic incumbent Rep. Zack Space's fundraising has dwarfed Dailey's, and he is looking pretty safe for someone who was at the top of the GOP's target list not long ago.
TX-04: Glenn Melancon, whose name should be somewhat familiar here, earned another shot at Republican Ralph Hall.
TX-10: My favorite off-the-wall sleeper House race, if I have one, is TX-10. Republican Michael McCaul received just 55% in 2006 against underfunded Democrat Ted Ankrum. The Democratic primary ended with Larry Joe Doherty, an attorney and judge on the TV courtroom series "Texas Justice", defeating international affairs, foreign policy consultant, and netroots favorite Dan Grant. I'm sad to see Grant lose, but I am excited to start taking the fight to Mike McCaul.
TX-22: It's a runoff! Rep. Nick Lampson must be leaping for joy, as his Republican opponents Shelley Sekula-Gibbs and Pete Olson get to duke it out for a little while longer, while Lampson gets to quietly serve the good people of the 22nd, and continue stockpiling money.
Sekula-Gibbs picked up 45% in the primary, so she has to be considered the frontrunner for the nomination (which is fine by me: Lampson beat her once already in 2006). I think it's great that she'll be the nominee, though I had kinda hoped for Slim Trim Dean Hrbacek and Pasadena Mayor John Manlove.
TX-23: Another embarrassment for the NRCC: their handpicked self-funder, Francisco "Quico" Canseco lost to a Republican with actual grassroots support (and votes), Bexar County Commissioner Lyle Larson.
Larson will face Democratic Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, who has a clear fundraising advantage. It's a reddish district, but Rodriguez should still be favored (especially considering the remarkable excitement on the Democratic side in Texas.