Reply #16: TX: DeLay vows to take name off Texas ballot [View All]

[kpete]

DeLay vows to take name off Texas ballot
By SUZANNE GAMBOA, Associated Press Writer
Tue Aug 8


WASHINGTON - Former Majority Leader Tom DeLay said Tuesday he is taking the necessary steps to remove his name from the November ballot, giving his party a chance to field a write-in candidate in hopes of holding the House seat.

Buffeted by scandal, DeLay said his June 9 resignation from Congress was "irrevocable" and maintained that he's no longer a Texan.

"As a Virginia resident, I will take the actions necessary to remove my name from the Texas ballot. To do anything else would be hypocrisy," DeLay said in a statement.

DeLay was forced to act after Republicans lost several court fights to remove his name from the ballot in the Houston-area district and replace him with a GOP-chosen nominee. Republicans ended their legal battles Monday when Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia refused to hear their case, letting the appeals court decision stand.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060808/ap_on_el_ho/delay_s_replacement