The following is based on my research and is my assessment and suggestions concerning the campaign of Honorable Lloyd Doggett, United States House of Representatives, Texas Congressional District 10. .
Mr. Doggett has been involved in Texas politics for 30 years now. Most recently he has been a member of the United States House of Representatives for 10 years. He is what some would call a career politician, a seasoned veteran of politics if you will. It can be safe to say that Doggett knows his constituents. He knows them not only because of the time that he has spent serving them but also because he holds very similar ideals to theirs. He expresses the views of a vast majority of his constituents. The 10th Congressional District of Texas, which included Austin in much of the surrounding areas, has long been a stronghold of liberal ideas and the Democrat party. Since his election to the Texas Senate in 1973, Doggett has consistently been both a liberal and a Democrat. He serves his constituents well and they praise him for that. Mr. Doggett has had no problem retaining his seat in Congress for the past 10 years. In fact in the 2000 General Election, he won by a landslide against Michelle Messina, a Libertarian candidate. He had no Republican opponent perhaps because, as Ms. Messina found out, it was a lost cause. .
The tides in Texas politics are turning, however. Recently, after much debate and a couple walkouts, the Texas Legislature approved a redistricting plan that would break up the current District 10 amongst 6 other districts. It is said, "To the victor go the spoils." The current lines, which were drawn years ago and were overdue to be changed according to the US Constitution, were drawn by a Democrat legislature to favor Democrats in certain districts, District 10 being one of them. Likewise, the newly redrawn lines were proposed by a majority Republican legislature to favor Republicans in certain districts.
