Former Sugar Land Mayor Dean Hrbacek (R), running for Congress in the solidly Republican 22nd district, last week claimed the endorsements of more than 40 GOP precinct chairmen in Fort Bend County.

Hrbacek is seeking the GOP nomination and the right to challenge Rep. Nick Lampson (D) in the 2008 general election. However, the March 4 GOP primary is crowded, and Hrbacek is going to have to beat out a deep field to secure his party’s nomination.

Among the Republicans running in the 22nd district primary are former Rep. Shelley Sekula Gibbs, who served out the remainder of ex-Rep. Tom DeLay’s (R) term after winning a special election late last year; former Pasadena Mayor John Manlove; Pete Olson, former chief of staff to Sen. John Cornyn (R); ex-family court judge Jim Squier; state Rep. Robert Talton; and Gulf War veteran Ryan Rowley.

If no candidate secures 50 percent of the vote, the top two finishers will proceed to a runoff.

— David M. Drucker