Pilot, political veteran, wrestler: Who’s best to replace Ron Wright in Congress?
With 23 candidates on the ballot, the Sixth Congressional District race offers nearly every choice a voter could want.
Looking for military or legislative experience? Check. A long record of service in the district? Got it. Federal executive experience? Several options. Grassroots connections? You bet. There’s even an increasingly endangered species, an anti-Trump Republican. Oh, and there’s a former pro wrestler, too.
We could recommend several candidates in this special election to replace Rep. Ron Wright, who died in February. But voters get one choice, and we suggest they go with state Rep. Jake Ellzey, a Waxahachie Republican.
Ellzey was a Navy fighter pilot who served several combat tours and was decorated for his service. He sought the congressional seat in 2018, after longtime Rep. Joe Barton declared he was retiring. We backed Ellzey, who’s now a commercial pilot, as someone with promising leadership qualities and as an important voice for veterans. He lost that primary to Wright but bounced back to win the state House seat.
Ellzey, 51, will be a strong representative for Ellis and Navarro counties in their battle against a proposed high-speed rail plan to connect Dallas and Houston, which many local landowners vehemently oppose. We think the train should be built, but those voters must be heard and treated fairly.
It’s important that Ellzey not neglect the more populated Tarrant County portion of the district, which includes almost all of Arlington and Mansfield along with parts of east and south Fort Worth. In our interview with the candidates, he pledged to open a district office in each of its three counties.
The front-runner in the race is probably Arlington Republican Susan Wright, who has excelled in fundraising and collecting endorsements from prominent leaders. She’s best known as Ron Wright’s widow, and while she’s campaigning on continuing his legacy, she’s a strong candidate in her own right. Susan Wright has worked for two Tarrant County state representatives and served on important boards and commissions. That kind of experience generally makes for a good lawmaker, and we’re confident Wright would be one. She would also add a third Republican woman to the Texas delegation.
Among Democrats, another former candidate for the seat, Fort Worth Democrat Jana Lynne Sanchez, stands out. She’s focused on health care reliability and affordability, infrastructure and jobs. Sanchez, 56, a publicist, has a thoughtful demeanor and a compelling story about her rise from an immigrant farmworker family in Ellis County.
Lydia Bean, a 40-year-old Arlington Democrat who ran unsuccessfully for a state House seat last year, brings an interesting background as someone who created an interfaith group to tackle local issues. Arlington Republican Sery Kim, an attorney who turns 43 soon, impressed us with thoughtful answers beyond the usual partisan stances, and a Korean American woman would add notable diversity to the Texas delegation. But her thoughtless comments about Chinese immigrants at an Arlington candidate forum were disappointing.
Democrat Shawn Lassiter, a 37-year-old educator and nonprofit leader, would be a good advocate for minorities and the poor, but like several other candidates, she doesn’t live in the district. Lassiter initially planned to run for Fort Worth City Council, which would have been a better fit.
Michael Wood, a 34-year-old business owner, is the aforementioned anti-Trump Republican, basing his stance on the former president’s behavior after losing the election and his contribution to the Capitol riot. It’s noble, but he has no chance and not much else to campaign on. Another Republican, Brian Harrison, 38, takes the opposite tack, touting his work at the Department of Health and Human Services in the Trump administration.
Democrat Tammy Allison, 39, a former Justice Department attorney now in private practice, is a fiery advocate. So is Patrick Moses, 57, a pastor and former federal police officer with a strong pitch on racial justice.
And then there’s Dan Rodimer, the former wrestler who barely five months ago was a candidate for Congress in Nevada, yet has suddenly realized the delights of being a Texan. Rodimer, 42, is campaigning as the fighter in a field of weak, puny candidates. If you somehow don’t think there are enough cartoon characters in Congress, Rodimer is your man.
The special election will almost certainly require a runoff between the top two finishers. That would likely be in the summer; Gov. Greg Abbott will set the date. The winner will complete Ron Wright’s term, which ends in January 2023.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHey, who is behind these endorsements?
Members of the Editorial Board, which serves as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s institutional voice, decide candidates and positions to recommend to voters. The members of the board are: Cynthia M. Allen, columnist; Steve Coffman, editor and president; Bud Kennedy, columnist; Ryan J. Rusak, opinion editor; and Nicole Russell, opinion writer.
Members of our Community Advisory Board may also participate in candidate interviews and offer their views, but they do not vote on which candidate to recommend.
Read more by clicking the arrow in the upper right.
How does the process work?
The Editorial Board interviews candidates, asking about positions on issues, experience and qualifications, and how they would approach holding the office for which they are running. Board members do additional research on candidates’ backgrounds and the issues at hand. After that, members discuss the candidates and generally aim to arrive at a consensus, though not necessarily unanimity. All members contribute observations and ideas, so the resulting editorials represent the board’s view, not a particular writer.
How do partisanship and ideology factor in?
We’re not tied to one party or the other, and our positions on issues range across the ideological spectrum. We tend to prefer candidates who align with our previously stated positions, but qualifications, temperament and experience are important, too.
This story was originally published April 16, 2021 at 5:03 AM.