By Bill Zeeble, KERA 90.1 reporter.
Dallas, TX – Bill Zeeble, KERA 90.1 reporter: When Majority Leader Dick Armey announced his retirement from the 26th Congressional District last December, political observers speculated he made the decision close to the primary to help his son Scott succeed him. It seems to have worked. Scott Armey received 41% of the votes, so he's now the leader in the runoff to be the Republican candidate in the fall.
Scott Armey, runoff Republican candidate, Congressional District 26: Certainly, I think the association with the name Dick Armey is an advantage in this area because he's so well-respected, but the key is, I have to convince the voters of who I am, what my record of service is, and that I'm the best person to represent them.
Zeeble: Armey will face Mike Burgess, who will try to make the case in the next month that he's the voters' best choice in District 26. Burgess pulled 26% of the votes yesterday, out of the field of six Republican hopefuls. The winner in the April 9th runoff will face Democrat Paul William LeBon. There was almost a Republican runoff in the sprawling 5th Congressional District that includes Dallas County and 11 others mostly north, east, and south of Dallas. But the former executive director of the National Republican Senate Committee, Jeb Hensarling, garnered nearly 53% of the Republican votes cast. Hensarling wants to replace Pete Sessions, who decided to leave the 5th to run in a new Congressional district.
Jeb Henserling, Congressional District 5 Republican candidate: What it says is the 5th wants a proven conservative in the mold of Ronald Reagan and Phil Gramm and Pete Sessions. They know my record in building the party, as a leader in the business community. And because of that, they look at me as proven a conservative.
Zeeble: Hensarling will face Democrat and former District County Judge Ron Chapman in the fall. Chapman acknowledges voters in the district lean Republican.
Ron Chapman, Democratic candidate, 5th Congressional District: It was a great segment of undecided or independent voters. That is where most of my campaigns have been targeted in previous campaigns I've run as a judge. And I've demonstrated an ability to attract those kind of voters and hope to repeat it here in this campaign.
Zeeble: In the newly created 32nd Congressional District in Dallas, three-term Congressman Pete Sessions won overwhelmingly. He pulled in more than 90% of the votes. This fall, he'll face Democrat Pauline Dixon, long-time party activist and first-time Congressional candidate. She also won in a lopsided victory, gathering 73-and-a-half percent of the Democratic votes. Despite the strong Republican make-up of the new district, Dixon is confident she can beat Sessions.
Pauline Dixon, Congressional District 32 Democratic candidate: I live here and he doesn't. See, these are my people. The 32nd is where I live. He has to move here, and I know the people. I know the concerns, the issues that they want represented in Washington, and that's what I hope to do.
Zeeble: The differences between Dixon and Sessions are fairly stark. Sessions is among the most conservative voters in Congress, saying taxes are too high, and that government can do more to help businesses. Dixon says wages for many low-income workers need to rise, and that prescription drug and other health benefits for seniors and children would be top priorities for her if she wins in November. For KERA 90.1, I'm Bill Zeeble.