Michael Williams May Switch Texas Races Again
Former Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams is thinking about switching Congressional races. Again.
A source close to the Republican said he’s considering a shift from the 33rd district race to the 25th district race. The source said several local GOP officials and at least a dozen Members of Congress have called him to urge him to switch races.
It’s not the first time Williams, whom Republicans view as a rising star in the party, has changed his mind about a Congressional seat this year. Williams kicked off the cycle as a candidate for retiring Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison’s (R) seat, but after the state Legislature passed a new Congressional map in June, he announced he would run for the newly created 33rd district instead.
Williams wasn’t the one only with that idea. Soon after he announced his bid for the 33rd district, another Senate candidate, former Texas Secretary of State Roger Williams, also announced his switch to the 33rd district race. Republicans expected a highly competitive and negative race between the two Republicans, who are not related.
Roger Williams began the House race with a big financial advantage. At the end of June, he reported having almost four times as much as Michael Williams in the bank: $1 million to $265,000, respectively.
But Michael Williams will not have the primary to himself in the 25th district if he switches races. State Rep. Sid Miller (R) said he’s interested in running and boasted to the Texas Tribune that his colleagues in the state Legislature drew the seat for him. The newspaper first reported the news of Williams’ potential switch to the 25th district.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D) lives in the redrawn 25th district but plans to run in the neighboring 35th district instead. The redrawn 35th district is much friendlier territory for a Democrat.