By Bill Zeeble, KERA 90.1 reporter
Dallas, TX – Against nearly all odds and political assessments, Dr. Michael Burgess overcame Scott Armey's name recognition as a Denton elected official, and the boost lent the County Judge by his father, House Majority Leader Dick Armey. Was Burgess surprised?
Doctor Michael Burgess, winner, District 26 runoff: Yes. I was surprised that it happened so early. I expected us to be up most of the night counting votes, and obviously I'm pleased with result.
Zeeble: By 9:30 last night, at a somber party that never showed much spark, Scott Armey figured out the race in which he never led was not going to change. Minutes later, he addressed his supporters.
Scott Armey, Denton County Judge: I want to thank everyone for being here tonight. You're the greatest blessing we've had. I want to say congratulations to Michael Burgess, who worked hard for this campaign. I think he'll make a fine Congressman for the 26th District. I talked to him earlier tonight, told him to calm down and breathe a little bit. I think he's still in shock about his win here.
Bill Zeeble: He wasn't the only one. Burgess friend Charlie Barr was pleasantly surprised, too.
Charlie Barr, Burgess friend and backer: It's great for the country. We're getting ordinary citizens who understand right from wrong, who can do the right thing and represent all of us. I have a theory: good guys win in the end. They go through hell getting there, but win in the end.
Zeeble: Throughout the campaign, many Burgess backers maintained Scott Armey had not served Denton well. Armey backed special taxing districts many said benefited wealthy developers, at the expense of average residents. Newspaper reports cited multi-million-dollar government contracts that went to Armey's friends, in a possible conflict of interest. As election day neared, the campaign turned nasty, with each candidate accusing the other of dirty politics. Burgess' campaign consultant, Bryan Eppstein, said voters picked his client because of his record over Armey's, and because of Burgess' character.
Bryan Eppstein, Burgess campaign consultant: Jeb Bush was in Texas a couple months ago. He said politics doesn't prepare one for life. Life prepares a person for politics. That was a sharp dichotomy between Armey and Burgess. Michael Burgess brings life experience and offers himself for Congress. Armey offered a life in politics. Voters opted for the non-politician.
Zeeble: Still, non-politicians sometimes have a hard time adjusting to the hardball game of professional Washington. But State Representative Myra Crownover is convinced Burgess will learn fast, and become a Congressional asset.
Myra Crownover, State Representative, District 64: There's an openness to embrace real people trying to do the right thing. That opens doors. They do need that medical background to deal with many problems. Our budget will be taken up more and more by medical things. We have many lawyers, but really need a medical balance. I think it's a really valuable asset that we have a doctor in the house.
Zeeble: That's because Crownover expects Burgess to defeat Democratic candidate Paul Lebon this November. A Republican has held the District 26 seat for at least a decade and a half. For KERA 90.1, I'm Bill Zeeble.
To contact Bill Zeeble, please send email to bzeeble@kera.org.