It’s Republican vs. Republican in this runoff for Congress. Here’s our recommendation
The runoff race for an open Dallas-Fort Worth congressional seat has been fairly quiet, especially compared to the raucous first round that featured 23 candidates of all stripes on one special election ballot.
Mainly that’s because there’s not much dividing the candidates. State Rep. Jake Ellzey of Waxahachie and Susan Wright of Arlington are both conservative Republicans, with similar stances on issues across the board. With no chance of a partisan shift in a district the GOP has held for decades, there’s less attention and investment from outside Texas or even beyond the district.
We recommend that voters elevate Ellzey to Congress. His record of leadership, including a long and decorated military career, make him the better choice to get off to a quick start in Washington. That will be important for a district that hasn’t had an elected representative since Rep. Ron Wright, Susan Wright’s husband, died in February after battles with lung cancer and COVID-19.
Ellzey, 51, is a former Navy fighter pilot and has flown for the airline industry, too, giving him important perspective on industries crucial to the Fort Worth area. The former Texas Veterans Commission member will be prepared to advocate for that constituency. And he’ll give residents of Ellis and Navarro counties, the rural portion of the district, a familiar voice as well.
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.
Wright, 58, led the first round of voting with 19.2% of ballots cast, compared to Ellzey’s 13.9%. She’s running on a pledge to extend her late husband’s legacy as a staunch conservative who gets results for local constituents. With long experience working for area legislators and extensive political experience in Arlington Republican circles, she would serve the district well.
Wright has the backing of much of the GOP political establishment, including former President Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. There are notable exceptions, including former Gov. Rick Perry and Houston-area U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, both of whom are in Ellzey’s corner.
Also with Ellzey is former U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, the Republican who held the seat for decades. Ron Wright worked for Barton for much of his term and has been a friend of the Wrights for years.
The runoff, while sleepy, has featured sharp attacks, particularly from outside groups, on Ellzey’s voting record. As is often the case, they’ve distorted the facts, suggesting Ellzey isn’t a true conservative on immigration and taxes. But right-leaning voters have no reason to fear that they’re casting ballots for an open-borders candidate with a secret desire to raise taxes.
Ellzey slipped into the runoff by about 350 votes, outpacing the top Democrat in the race, Jana Lynne Sanchez. It’s unusual, even in a district that’s firmly Republican. But Democratic votes in the May 1 election were spread out over several candidates, and there wasn’t much excitement or expectation that any Democrat could flip the seat.
That said, all voters in the district, which also includes a big piece of Fort Worth and much of Arlington and Mansfield, can participate in this election. It doesn’t matter if you voted in the first round or, if you did, who you voted for. If you’re registered, you’re eligible.
The district will be in good hands either way, but we think Ellzey has more upside and the potential to be a long-term leader on several important issues.
Early voting started Monday and continues through Friday. Election Day is July 27. The winner will finish Ron Wright’s term, which ends in January 2023.
This story was originally published July 20, 2021 at 5:05 AM.