October 8, 2007

Republican Takes Aim at House Freshman
Who Beat Lawmaker Targeted by Leininger

By Mike Hailey
Capitol Inside Editor

Former Texas House member Carter Casteel isn't planning a rematch against the conservative incumbent who ousted her from the lower chamber last year as one of a half-dozen candidates that Dr. James Leininger recruited and funded almost exclusively for races against Republican moderates. But Casteel may be getting some payback vicariously if another Republican who does plan to challenge State Rep. Nathan Macias of Bulverde in the GOP primary election in 2008 finds a way to win the race.

Former New Braunfels Mayor Doug Miller is taking on Macias in a race that could put a quick end to the biggest success story that Leininger forces had in GOP primary contests that they targeted in 2006. Miller, who served on the New Braunfels City Council before he led it as mayor, has significant connections in the Austin political world as the chairman of the Edwards Aquifer Authority board of directors.

Macias - a former Air Force officer who's a vice-president for a San Antonio advertising agency and a married father of seven - kicked off his re-election campaign this past weekend with an appeal to supporters for financial assistance for a race that he may no longer be able to depend on one contributor to fund. That wasn't the case in 2006 when the road to victory was lined with Leininger dollars as Macias edged Casteel by a mere 43 votes out of more than 20,000 cast in the Republican primary election in House District 73. Most of about $550,000 in contributions that Macias reported for the primary fight came in the form of campaign services provided by a consultant enlisted by Leininger. Casteel was no slouch in the fundraising department but still had $120,000 less than Macias to spend on her re-election race.

Now Casteel is backing Miller - with the former lawmaker and members of her family donating $2,000 to the challenger's campaign since he started raising funds for the race in May. Casteel - a former Comal county judge - was a fan of Miller long before he decided to run against Macias. As a freshman representative in 2003, Casteel sponsored a resolution congratulating Miller and his wife on being named Small Business Persons of the Year by the Comal County Commissioner Court. The Millers are partners in the Miller & Miller Insurance Agency and longtime community activists who've both run for local offices and been elected as well.

Miller the House candidate had been a city councilman for a year before he was appointed by fellow council members to the mayor's post for a stint that lasted from 1988 to 1990. Miller's wife, Anne Miller, is a former New Braunfels School Board member. Miller - a past president of the New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce - is the current president of the Wurstfest Association, which puts on the annual German festival that draws thousands of revelers to the historic city north of San Antonio for beer and sausage each fall.

Miller could have an advantage in the primary duel as the only candidate who lives and works in New Braunfels - the largest city in HD 73 with a population topping 35,000. Miller could have another significant advantage in a race against Macias than Casteel didn't enjoy when she lost to him if Leininger stays out of the race next year. While the San Antonio physician and investor hasn't said publicly whether he plans to spend as much on politics in 2008 as he did a year ago and in other election cycles, there's speculation that he'll be keeping his name as far removed from individual campaigns as possible after being deluged with publicity that he thought to be unduly negative in the targeting effort last year. Leininger was particularly upset with the House Republicans that he tried to defeat last year as a result of their stringent opposition to school vouchers - a cause he's championed in Texas and on a national level as well.

Despite the predictions about Leininger laying lower in 2008, it's conceivable that he could be one of the major donors in Texas once again if he decides that his money is needed in House races that have the potential to determine whether Speaker Tom Craddick will be able to hang on to his leadership post when the Legislature convenes again in 2009. Leininger and other heavyhitter Republican givers might see the HD 73 primary battle between Macias and Miller as pivotal in that regards - even though the challenger hasn't indicated where he would stand in the ongoing speaker's race. All of the House Republicans who survived primary campaigns that Leininger targeted in 2006 were part of the bipartisan coalition that attempted to overthrow Craddick during the regular session this year.

Craddick learned this week that he would be losing two supporters from the regular session with Republican State Rep. Dianne Delisi's decision to forego a re-election bid and State Rep. Kirk England's switch from the GOP to the Democrats. But the news about Delisi and England has been mitigated by some degree as far as the speaker's race goes by State Rep. Fred Hill's announcement that he won't be on the ballot for re-election in 2008. Hill withdrew his longtime support for Craddick near the end of the regular sesion and filed to run for speaker himself if a move to vacate the chair had prevailed. The need for funding from Leininger and other big donors who've been Craddick supporters will likely intensify as conservatives attempt to find candidates to oppose England and to run for the vacancies created by the retirements of Delisi and Hill.

For Macias, a re-election bid without Leininger's help would be a dramatically different process than his debut race last year. The first-term incumbent hasn't raised much money for his campaign account since defeating Casteel in the primary last year. Macias, who had no Democratic opposition last fall, has generated less than $35,000 in contributions in the past year. Macias raised less than $4,000 during the two-week period after the ban on contributions during a legislative session ended in June.

But Macias should be able to secure significant help from the Austin lobby - thanks in part to the friendly incumbent rule - an unwritten standard to which most special interests adhere as a way to stay on the safe side without antagonizing a challenger with upset potential. Macias turned out to be more than a piece of furniture that some critics expected to be nothing more than a rubber stamp conservative vote. Macias passed six out of 17 House bills that he filed including one that Governor Rick Perry vetoed. Four Macias bills that have become law were mostly local in nature as attempts to clarify legal provisions on traffic regulation and signs in smaller counties, public improvement districts and county auditor pay. Two bills that Macias guided into law clarify Texas Ethics Commission procedures. The bill that Perry vetoed would have eased the penalty for criminal trespassing in a move designed to clear up confusion over the rights that RV park owners have in that regard. Macias also proved to be popular with other Republican legislators despite dissent in their ranks over Leininger's targeting efforts last year.

A San Antonio native, Macias represents a district that takes in Comal, Gillespie, Kendall and Bandera counties.