Texas 22 nd congressional District is an important district in the US elections. It covers a south-central portion of the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metropolitan area. It includes the cities of Rosenberg and La Marque as well as portions of Missouri City and Pearland, in Fort Bend, Harris, Galveston, and Brazoria counties. The district has witnessed a major change of power in the last elections. Republican House majority Leader Tom DeLay resigned after being indicted and subsequently winning the Republican primary. Because of Texas state law (and court rulings interpreting it), Republicans, in order to hold onto the seat, would have had to win a write-in campaign, something that has only been done four other times in the history of U.S. Congressional elections.
The district saw two elections: A special election and the general elections. In the special election there were five candidates: four Republicans: Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, Don Richardson, former US Representative Steve Stockman and Giannibecego Hoa Tran, and one Libertarian, Bob Smither. The Democrats were not represented with a candidate. Sekula-Gibbs won that race with approximately 63 percent of the vote and was sworn in as a Member of Congress on November 13, 2006.
In the general election there were three main candidates. Democrat and former US Representative Nick Lampson, Libertarian Party candidate Bob Smither, and Republican Sekula-Gibbs. Only Lampson's and Smither's names appeared on the ballot, as Shelley Sekula-Gibbs had to run as a write-in candidate. In this race, Lampson captured 52% of the vote, to Sekula-Gibbs' 42%, and Smither collected 6%. Lampson is standing for a re-election in 2008. Along with Lampson, there are many known names standing for election. This includes former Sugar Land mayor Dean Hrbacek, former Pasadena mayor John Manlove, former John Cornyn Chief of Staff Pete Olson, Family District Judge Jim Squier, State Representative Bob Talton, and NASA contractor Ryan Rowley.
The district saw two elections: A special election and the general elections. In the special election there were five candidates: four Republicans: Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, Don Richardson, former US Representative Steve Stockman and Giannibecego Hoa Tran, and one Libertarian, Bob Smither. The Democrats were not represented with a candidate. Sekula-Gibbs won that race with approximately 63 percent of the vote and was sworn in as a Member of Congress on November 13, 2006.
In the general election there were three main candidates. Democrat and former US Representative Nick Lampson, Libertarian Party candidate Bob Smither, and Republican Sekula-Gibbs. Only Lampson's and Smither's names appeared on the ballot, as Shelley Sekula-Gibbs had to run as a write-in candidate. In this race, Lampson captured 52% of the vote, to Sekula-Gibbs' 42%, and Smither collected 6%. Lampson is standing for a re-election in 2008. Along with Lampson, there are many known names standing for election. This includes former Sugar Land mayor Dean Hrbacek, former Pasadena mayor John Manlove, former John Cornyn Chief of Staff Pete Olson, Family District Judge Jim Squier, State Representative Bob Talton, and NASA contractor Ryan Rowley.