Democrat Chuck Hopson joins GOP

[derby378]

State Rep. Chuck Hopson, saying his East Texas district does not reflect the views of President Barack Obama, bolted the Democratic Party.

"I believe in democracy and respect its process," Hopson said in a news release. "I will be running as a Republican in 2010 and will campaign hard to win the Republican primary and general elections."

Hopson, a pharmacist, has represented Texas House District 11 since 2001. The district includes, Cherokee, Houston, Panola and Rusk Counties. Last year John McCain beat Obama in that district with 71 percent of the vote.

http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2009/11/democrat-chuck-hopson-joins-go.html

Not happy...

[sonias]

1. TDP statement on Hopson

Texas Democratic Party
11/6/2009

RICHIE: ON CHUCK HOP SON’S SWITCH TO GOP

Below is a statement from Texas Democratic Party Chairman Boyd Richie regarding Rep. Chuck Hopson’s intention to switch to the GOP:

“While I am extremely disappointed with Chuck Hopson, I remain confident the Texas House of Representatives will have a Democratic Speaker of the House next Legislative Session. Democrats continue to make inroads across the Lone Star State and will continue to put the best interests of Texans ahead of the special interests Republicans continue to represent.

“Make no mistake… as a rural Democratic elected official who served in rural Texas, I can tell you that if, in fact, Chuck Hopson makes this announcement this afternoon, he will be joining a party that has abandoned rural Texas.

“The Republican Party is the party that has abandoned our public schools to send our tax dollars to private schools in the big cities; the Party that tried to take 600,000 acres of our farmland for toll roads while leaving our farm to market roads in disrepair.

“Perhaps more importantly, Chuck Hopson will be joining the party of the special interests – the party that has given us the highest homeowners insurance rates in the country, that has increased our health insurance premiums beyond repair, and let the special interest lobbyists rule our State Capitol.

“It takes strength and integrity to stand against the special interests – and while some members have that strength, others like Chuck Hopson, do not. In the Democratic Party, there is room for members who are conservative and progressive – the only reason anyone would leave is for crass political reasons and a refusal to stand up to special interests.”

Hopson was a rural D representing a conservative district, so he's just moving over to the party he feels comfortable with. That's one more seat we will have to find somewhere else in Texas. I'm thinking Todd Smith's district is looking good for a Dem. Maybe we can get him to switch to the Dems!

Sonia

[sonias]

2. BOR thread on the switch

TDP, Jim Dunnam, and 20/20 Statements on Hopson Switch

(snip)
From Jim Dunnam, House Leader and one of the three heads of the House Democratic Campaign Committee (via the Houston Chronicle):

"Chuck has assured me and a number of other Democrats of his intention to continue to vote as he has in the past, which has been with our Democratic delegation the vast majority of the time. ... As for the future, this will have only a marginal impact on House Democrats' inevitable progress toward a majority ... Our overall goals and plans for 2010 have not changed, and we will gain a majority in the House in 2010."

Sounds like Hopson wants to be the Joe Lieberman of Texas. Oh yea that's worked out great for us nationally! :grr:


Sonia

[Vogon_Glory]

3. Hopson Might Not Like How He'll Be Rewarded

I can't help but wonder whether Hopson will like how he'll be rewarded by his new friends in the GOP. I remember that while the early rush of turncoat Dixiecrats were welcomed with open arms into the Texas Republican Party (Phil Gramm being the most prominent of the lot), the ones that dawdled until the late 1980's to make the switch as often as not found themselves facing Republican primary challengers who usually took them out in the primaries for 'not being conservative enough.'

I can't help but wonder whether there's still a powerful faction within the Texas GOP willing and eager to punish late-coming party-switchers for not defecting when the CPC's (Conservative Politically Correct) thought they should have. Will Hopson get a free walk, or will he get sacked for staying with the devil-Dems for so long? Stay tuned for further developments...

We'll have to get another Democratic representative from elsewhere in Texas

:dem:

[sonias]

4. He'll be at the very bottom of the pecking order

He's got no cred with them and they will "punish" him like you said. They are very strict disciplinarians unlike the Ds.

Which is why Hopson is also trying to keep nice with the Ds. He will either be expected to "spy" for the Rs or he thinks that should the Ds pull out a win in the Texas House the Ds will keep him in important committees. Cater to his desires to win his vote as a "moderate".

He's the worst kind of spineless switch. I get that he's switching to "win" re-election. But he's not really committed to either side. He's like Joe Lieberman - he wants to be the swing vote for the whole Texas House. He wants that power in case it's a very close distribution of votes like it is now.

I hope we somehow pull a great trick and take it outright without having to rely on Hopson.

Sonia

[sonias]

5. Chuck Hopson Draws First GOP Primary Challenger

BOR 11/10/09
Chuck Hopson Draws First GOP Primary Challenger

It's times like these when I just have to sit back and grin with my German Schadenfreude. The subscription based Quorum Report confirms the news that party-switcher Rep. Hopson didn't get the field cleared for him by his newfound Republican friends.

Jacksonville dentist Michael Banks confirmed with QR this afternoon that he will seek the GOP nomination in HD 11, challenging the incumbent representative, Chuck Hopson, who announced last week that he was switching his party affiliation to Republican.

Banks said he would make a formal announcement of his candidacy Monday morning in Jacksonville. He told QR that he decided to challenge Hopson for the nomination because of the belief among many Republicans in the district that "the conservative values of our district in East Texas haven't been represented in the past."

Boy that honeymoon didn't last long. :eyes:

Sonia

[Manifestor_of_Light]

6. I am pissed.

He's my state rep; I live in Houston County.

He was the ONLY Dem representing me. I got a repuke guv, a repuke rep(barton), two repuke senators, a repuke state senator. GRRRRR.....

Time for somebody that's a real democrat to run.

And my county went 2/3rds for McCain.

[sonias]

7. That sucks

2/3rd for McCain - ouch. I can't see where that would change anytime soon.

I have no comfort for you except a :hug:

We still have a President who is Democrat though.


Sonia

[Manifestor_of_Light]

8. I'm white and all my friends are black.

Cuz the rednecks hate Obama.

Simple.

I hang out with good people. :D

[derby378]

10. Who's your Democratic candidate(s) for the US House seat? (n/t)

[BenjaminFranklin]

9. This really pisses me off

:wtf:

I donated to this turncoat's campaign last year but I won't make that mistake again. There's no way he's going to win in a rethug primary. Spineless pathetic P.O.S. :mad: