By Noah
Come November, the Texas State Senate seats are up for reelection in the 2008 state elections. Primary voting will be in March of next year. Currently the Texas State Senate is composed of twenty-seven men and four women. There are twenty Republicans and eleven Democrats and twenty-six incumbents with only five new members. Our senators have an average of twelve years of legislative experience and the average senator’s age is fifty-four years old with the youngest senator being thirty-six years old.
The Texas Legislature is considered to be the most powerful branch of state government. Meeting at the Texas State Capitol in Austin for regular sessions on the second Tuesday of January of each odd numbered year for one hundred and forty calendar days; senators work on bills in select committees. Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst presides over our Senate. Right now the Republican Party holds a majority of seats in both the Senate and House Chambers. A Texas State Senator must be at least twenty-six years old and citizen of Texas for five years prior to election. I could run myself. Senators serve a four year term and one half the senate membership is elected every two years with no set term limits. Some of the current senators have been in there since the invention of color television.
The current President Pro Tempore of the Texas Senate is Senator Mario Gallegos, Jr. (D-District 6). Senator Gallegos is up for reelection in 2008 having served in the Senate since 1995 and should have no problem getting reelected. Senator Royce West (D-District 23), former 2006 President Pro Tempore is also up for reelection in 2008. Senator West has served in the Senate since 1993 and is Chairman of the Intergovernmental Relations Committee. With a solid working relationship with Governor Rick Perry, he should easily be reelected. Senator Judith Zaffirini (D-District 21) has previously won her seat by an overwhelming landslide. She is currently Chair on the Senate Higher Education Sub-committee.
Austin is split into two State Senate Districts: District 14 with most of Austin and District 25 with a small southwestern portion. Senator Kirk Watson (D-District 14) was elected in 2006 replacing former democratic Senator Barrientos. This past legislative session he served as Chair of the Texas Air Control Board. Senator Wentworth (R-District 25) is serving his sixth term since 2006.
In a place where seniority means everything and experience lends a hand, the Texas Senate is in Republican control. How will the 2008 elections change the face of Texas? Sure the incumbents have one leg up, but your vote will definitely count.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Gallegos%2c_Jr.
http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/Senate/members/dist25/dist25.htm
http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/Senate/Facts.htm
POSTED BY NOAH AT 11:10 PM 0 COMMENTS
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1 comment:
That Kirk Watson is a real snake.
As CAMPO chair, he said he was against toll roads, then he voted to spend about a billion tax dollars to shift our Central Texas freeways to toll roads.
http://salcostello.blogspot.com/
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