KILGORE NEWS HERALDMerritt claims Republican primaryMillion-dollar race is now part of local historyBy BILL WOODALL knhedit@kilgorenewsherald>
"When I go to Austin, I represent you. I speak for you and I never forget that for one minute."
With those words, State Rep. Tommy Merritt - flanked by his wife and his mother - claimed victory in his Republican primary win over Mark Williams.
The win came following one of the costliest primary campaigns in the history of rural Texas politics. Merritt raised about $206,000 for the campaign. Reports show Williams raised more than $670,000 - including almost $650,000 from Dr. Jim Leininger, the controversial school voucherproponent from San Antonio.
"This is a big day for the Republican Party," Merritt said. "This shows that local Republicans don't want their party controlled by outsiders, they want local representation. And it's a big day for democracy... folks across the country are watching this race and seeing that outside money can't buy an election."
Merritt out-polled Williams 58 percent to 42 percent. he will face Democrat Patrick Franklin for the right to represent District 7. The district includes all of Gregg County and the northern half of Smith County.
Merritt and his supporters began gathering at Tyler Street Bistro in Longview shortly after the polls closed at 7 p.m. About two hours later, Merritt's campaign coordinator, John Green, raced through the room, telling Merritt "We won, 60-40."
Surrounded by well-wishers and news crews, Merritt thanked his mother "for my upbringing, for teaching me to keep my word. I promised to spend the least amount possible and I did," he laughed.
"Janet (his wife) won this election for us," he said, referring to campaign advertising in which she decried Williams' campaign tactics.
In the other local contested race, with 35 voting boxes still uncounted, Bailey Moseley appears to have won a seat on the Court of Appeals.
This morning Moseley led Andrew Khoury - son of long-time Gregg County district judge Alvin Khoury - and M.C. Bruder with almost 52 percent of the vote. Khoury won Gregg County voting but was trailing across the Sixth Court of Appeals district.
Incumbent Precinct 2 county commissioner Darryl Primo easily won four more years on the Gregg County Commissioner's Court, outdistancing Robert Hayes by almost a 3-1 margin.
In Precinct 4, incumbent Danny Craig last to John Mathis by about a 5-4 margin.
Mathis is a lifelong resident of the Elderville community and a 31-year employee of the Gregg County Sheriff 's Department.
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