November 11, 2007
Pat Haggerty, as one of a handful of elected Republicans in El Paso, has dutifully been making his rounds to various events -- fund-raisers, for example, and the Texas Federation of Republican Women's Friday convention speeches.
Meanwhile, he's gearing up for what he expects to be a challenge from Dee Margo, already a high-profile community mover and shaker who raised his profile even more with an unsuccessful run against state Sen. Eliot Shapleigh last year.
Margo confirmed Friday that he is building a home in Haggerty's district. Margo told the El Paso Times Brandi Grissom a few weeks ago that his family needs a one-story home because their housekeeper is crippled and cannot move around the current three-level home. [link]
"That's really the extent of it. I really haven't decided anything," Margo said of a potential run.
Haggerty said the decision already has been made: "He's (Margo) hired a consulting group. He has rented an apartment. He has changed his driver’s license. He has changed his voter’s registration. So, if he’s not running, he’s doing the best job he can to fool me."
Haggerty said the challenge comes from House Speaker Tom Craddick, who faced a mutiny during the session in which Haggerty was a major figure. In fact, Haggerty led a walkout in opposition to Craddick, in which Democrats, ironically, were key Craddick allies. [background]
Craddick has campaign fund available for primary challenges to his Republican opponents, and James Leininger, a San Antonio millionaire who gave tens of thousands of dollars to Lorraine O'Donnell, an unsuccessful challenger to Haggerty last year, is expected to again become involved.
"Well, we have a whole of Craddick carpetbaggers across the state. Tom Craddick is the one who’s putting him (Margo) up to this. The Speaker wants to get votes for himself to renamed speaker of the house. I’m one of those who’s working against him being speaker," Haggerty said. "And it has nothing to do with Republicans in town being opposed to me. It has everything to do with Tom Craddick being opposed to me. So he’s coming in and buying up candidates all over the state. They’re calling them the Craddick Carpetbaggers. And it’s in El Paso that this is happening.
Haggerty said that Margo has moved into an apartment in the district, and changed his drivers license and voter registration.
Margo declined to comment on Haggerty's assertions about his residence, but did say that he's "had no contact with any of those folks" that Haggerty said were behind the potential challenge.
***
Couple of quick hits:
-- Anna Perez fund-raiser at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday (Nov. 14) at the Ale House,
1506 Lee Trevino Drive. She is running against County Commissioner Luis Sarinana.
-- Word is that Robert Almonte is pulling out of the crowded race for El Paso County sheriff.
***
Help us keep you informed. Keep the tips flowing by contacting Owen at owen@epmediagroup.com, or send them to npt@epmediagroup.com and we'll pass them along.
***
Previous Inner Loops
-- 11.2.07: Guess who's coming to dinner? Read items about Giuliani, Teran, Castro, Strelzin, Asarco and the Children's Hospital election. The Inner Loop, where we dress appropriately for every occasion.
-- 10.26.07: Dannenbaum, Madla, and Shapleigh. Quintana and Karlsruher. Olivo and Smith. Ruiz, Marquez and Moreno. Teran and friends. Wilson, Castro, Ortega and O'Rourke. And two Texas Senators. The Inner Loop, bringing people together since 2007.
-- 10.15.07: El Paso GOP: Elephant or mouse? Meanwhile, Democrats are busy raising money, and we know where that comes from. Plus, Asarco, EPISD and Montoya, HACEP, the Children's Hospital and Castro's fund-raiser. This week's Inner Loop, delayed and stopping just short of completion.
-- 10.5.07: Money, and lots of it. Noriega, Watts, Cornyn, Shapleigh, Pickett, Hahn, Brown, Kennedy, Huerta and a cast of about 1,000 members of the El Paso "hot core" of political animals and political prey. And who was at Rick Perry's fund-raiser? The Inner Loop keeps circling.
-- 9.28.07: Regional Congressional politics, but where's the big guy? Meanwhile, we see and hear Kennedy, O'Rourke, Elizondo, HACEP, a handful of judges, and a crowded house in the sheriff's race, with a new entry ready to announce. The Inner Loop, where the rubber hits the road to the best of all possible El Pasos.
-- 9.21.07: This week, we take you inside the tinfoil hat, featuring a cast of thousands: Lee Trevino, The Strelz, Asarco and Quintana, a Shapleigh sitdown, Reyes, Leon, Wiles, fundraisers and more. The Inner Loop avoids traffic by circling around the urban gridlock of El Paso politics.
-- 9.14.07: Getting loopy this week with Richardson, Esparza, Shapleigh, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, Tenet, Parra, Aguilar and Moreno, just to name a few. Is there a voter rollback in Ysleta? How about candidates for district courts? Read on for questions, answers and mass confusion.
-- 9.7.07: Theresa Caballero and Jaime Esparza, plus other campaign contributions. Margo and Haggerty, Tilghman and Reyes, Rosenbaum and Quintana, Samaniego, Cobos, Perez, Friends of the El Paso School District, Hunt, Hicks and Pickett, Marquez and Moreno, and so on. To paraphrase a comic genius, El Paso, we have met the enemy, and they is us.
-- 8.24.07: Pushing the polls has begun, the city is facing "one tough lawyer" (but not that one) in the Elizondo case, a city appointment dilemma (hint: Holguin wins on one, but will the mayor get his Jobe?), and Shapleigh, Chavez, the Republicans and more. By the way, where'd Ann Lilly get off to?
-- 8.17.07: It's election season, and here are a few dates to keep. Also, some fund-raiser updates, a TIRZ tidbit, some FBI fallout, a lawsuit over construction at the UTEP Garden Inn, Glass Beach and more.
-- 8.10.07: Moreno’s challengers emerging, and a few other answers about candidates for Chavez’s judge seat and Teran’s county seat. Also, an intriguing City Council board appointment, a high-level Hunt resignation, a major Margo move, and more morsels for you political junkies.
-- 8.3.07: Notes and quotes about Reyes, Perez, Teran, Moreno, Lozano and more. Plus tidbits about CF Jordan, the Children’s Hospital, and finance reports. A new NPT feature.