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Two Republican U.S. House members, one elected in 2002 and the other in 2004, whose districts include parts of Tarrant County present contrasting styles as members of Congress. Both face primary opponents with no experience in public office.
While the challengers are to be admired for their willingness to step forward, the incumbents know the ropes in Washington. No Democrats filed for either office.District 24When Rep. Kenny Marchant of Coppell ran in 2004, he took advantage of recently redrawn district lines that virtually assured a GOP win.Marchant, 58, is a staunch conservative and toes a hard line on spending. Although he has opposed President Barack Obama's signature healthcare initiative and economic stimulus funding, he has good things to say about some of the proposals in Obama's recent State of the Union address.A freeze on discretionary spending would sit just fine with Marchant, although he would prefer that it begin this year rather than the 2011 start date promoted by Obama. Tax credits for companies that produce jobs also get his nod as "the quickest way to new job creation."Marchant previously served on the Carrollton City Council for four years, as mayor for two years and nine terms -- 18 years -- in the Texas House. His seniority landed him on powerful committees in Austin, and in his final term alone he authored 31 bills.In contrast, he has authored no bills in five years in the U.S. House. He has gone from power broker to dedicated follower, a process he blames on Washington's regimented partisan system. He'll need to shake that excuse and be more active should voters return him to office.Marchant's opponent, Frank Roszell, 69, is a real estate investor from Grapevine who has built his campaign around issues such as term limits and immigration reform.The Star-Telegram Editorial Board recommends Kenny Marchant in the Republican primary race for U.S. House District 24.District 26Since being elected in 2002, Rep. Michael Burgess of Lewisville has energetically involved himself in Congress. He has been a leading Republican spokesman on healthcare in the debate over Obama's proposals.That role comes naturally to Burgess, 59. He practiced medicine as a North Texas obstetrician/gynecologist for almost three decades.Burgess says Obama's approach to healthcare reform is overly broad -- too much for Congress or the nation to handle all at once. He would rather tackle it piece by piece: limiting malpractice liability, covering pre-existing conditions and setting up state and regional risk pools to increase access to health insurance for individuals and small businesses.Burgess opposes Obama's stimulus spending, preferring to focus on increasing the job creation capabilities of small businesses. He says Congress and the president could build on common ground by targeting issues on which they largely agree, like energy efficiency.The 2003 redrawing of congressional districts stretched District 26 across southern Denton County and southward to Fort Worth's east side. Burgess has worked to aid east-side economic development and to assist Texas Wesleyan University.Running against Burgess is James Herford, 43, of Keller. He wants to stimulate energy exploration; put healthcare on a cash basis and let the free market determine prices; cut taxes and regulation; and enforce immigration laws.The Star-Telegram Editorial Board recommends Michael Burgess in the Republican primary race for U.S. House District 26.
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