January 19, 2006

Swinford Wins Support from Senator and Two
House Colleagues as Foe Takes to the Radio

State Rep. David Swinford received a show of support Thursday from the local state senator and two House colleagues who represent neighboring Panhandle districts in his bid for re-election to a ninth term.

Swinford, a Dumas Republican, won endorsements from State Senator Kel Seliger of Amarillo and State Reps. Warren Chisum of Pampa and John Smithee of Amarillo in his primary battle against Amarillo school board member Anette Carlisle. All three Panhandle lawmakers are Republicans.

Swinford corralled the support of his fellow lawmakers at the same time Carlisle was unveiling a radio spot that she says will spotlight differences between values in the Panhandle and those embraced by "career politicians, special interest groups and powerful lobbyists" who allegedly control the state Capitol in Austin and have yet to find a cure for school finance problems and high property taxes. Carlisle said that her new radio ad will begin airing on several Amarillo stations on Monday.

Carlisle is one of several Republican primary candidates who are touting their experience in the public education arena in attempts to unseat longtime incumbents such as Swinford. Her campaign was derailed briefly last week when the state GOP denied her application for a place on the primary ballot because she was still a member of the school board when she filed to run for the state House. The Texas Supreme Court, however, reinstated Carlisle's candidacy a few days later after she argued that she was not subject to a constitutional provision that the state party had used to knock her off the ballot.

Several other House and Senate campaigns have appeared to be on shaky ground in recent weeks under the same constitutional provision, which prohibits elected and appointed officeholders from running for the Legislature if they hold lucrative offices whose terms overlaps with the terms they are seeking.

Swinford's primary opponent in his first re-election campaign was deemed to be ineligible to seek the House seat under the same provision that put a temporary cloud over Carlisle's bid for the House this year. Pattilou Dawkins, whose name remained on the ballot in 1992 despite the adverse court ruling, contributed $500 to Carlisle in late November.

While Swinford has the support of the Panhandle's state senator, Carlisle appears to have the solon's brother, Lane Seliger, in her corner. Or she did last last year anyway when Lane Seliger - the president of the family business, Lake Steel - contributed $1,000 to her House bid.