U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, filed Monday to compete in the primary and general election for a 10th Congressional term. Edwards is one of few Democrats serving in the heavily Republican District 17, which stretches from Hood County to Grimes County and includes Johnson County. And he and Precinct 1 Commissioner R.C. McFall are the only Democrats representing Johnson County.
That Edwards filed to run again should surprise few. More noteworthy, perhaps, is the silence and — so far — lack of contender from the Republican side.
In the 2006 election, attorney Tucker Anderson of Calvert and Iraq war veteran Van Taylor of West declared their intentions to run in the Republican primary for Edwards’ seat months before the filing period began. Taylor beat out Anderson but ultimately lost to Edwards in the general election.
But so far this election season, no Republicans have stepped forward to face Edwards. Challengers have until Jan. 3 to file to run in the primary.
“As of now, we do not have a candidate to run against Chet Edwards,” said Dan Hunt, Johnson County Republican chairman. “I’m not surprised Chet ran again. He’s a very popular candidate in this district. We have talked to a person, whose name I’m not at liberty to divulge, about possibly running. But as of now we have no candidate.”
Hunt said Edwards would be a difficult candidate to beat, which probably explains the reluctance of any Republican to enter the race.
“Certainly we’d like to have someone run against [Edwards], but we want a legitimate candidate who could give Chet a run for his money,” Hunt said. “If it comes down to it though, we’re not going to just throw some random name in there to run against him.”
Hunt readily admits that Edwards is popular but added that he doesn’t understand why.
“Johnson County is very Republican and conservative with the exception of two candidates,” Hunt said. “But R.C. and Chet, Republicans cross over to vote for those two, and I don’t know why. But that’s what we’ve seen through history.
“We’ve tried before with legitimate candidates, Arlene Wohlgemuth [who faced him in 2004] and Van Taylor. Taylor actually won in Johnson County, but Edwards won overwhelmingly throughout the rest of the distinct. I wish I knew what it was.”
Edwards won 58 percent of the vote compared with 40 percent for Taylor in 2006.
Edwards’ success is no mystery, said Josh Taylor, Edwards’ press secretary.
“Chet Edwards is an effective, independent-minded representative for our district, and that is why Republicans, independents and Democrats have joined together to support him,” Josh Taylor said.
Hunt likewise said McFall’s hold on the county commissioners’ is solid and said the Johnson County Republican Party has not actively recruited or sought out contenders to run against him. However, a person, whose identity Hunt would not reveal, has expressed interest and might enter the Precinct 1 race to compete against McFall.
Although he has not yet filed, McFall confirmed Tuesday that he intends to seek re-election.
“Oh, I imagine someone will run against me,” McFall said when told many consider him and Edwards to be shoe-ins for re-election. “Never been a horse that couldn’t be rode or a cowboy that couldn’t be throwed.”
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