| A survey that will be sent to Republican voters in Fort Bend County is drawing some questions of its own.
Fort Bend County Chairman Eric Thode, in one of his last official actions, is mailing a survey to Fort Bend County residents who voted in the recent Republican primaries. He is seeking input on the choice of candidate to replace U.S. Rep. Tom Delay for the 2006 Republican nomination for Congressional District 22.
The survey consists of a postcard with the names of 11 people who have announced they would like to be chosen as the Republican nominee for the seat, which is expected to be vacated by DeLay in mid-June. A blank space is also included.
If DeLay leaves office and has his name removed from the 2006 general election ballot, a Republican nominee for his seat would be chosen by a committee that consists of one precinct chair from each of the four counties in Congressional District 22.
That candidate would then face Democrat Nick Lampson and Libertarian Bob Smithers in the general election.
"One of the biggest issues I see is the Texas Election Code sets up the replacement process, and the process is sorry," said Thode. "It sets up a process where a very, very small number of people select the next candidate."
Thode said he will be conducting the survey to expand the involvement in the selection process, and it will be sent out to all households where individuals voted in the 2002, 2004 and 2006 Republican primaries. He said approximately 15,000 cards will be sent out at a cost of 50 or 60 cents a piece, for a total cost between $7,500 and $9,000. The Fort Bend County Republican Party will pay for it.
The idea of a survey has come under some criticism, with several questioning how accurate it will be and whether it is needed.
No other county will conduct a similar survey, which Harris County Republican Party Chairman Jared Woodfill has called unnecessary.
Republican Precinct Chair Billy Benton of Rosenberg points out in an e-mail that the funding was never approved by the Fort Bend County Republican Executive Committee.
Thode responds that the executive committee does not need to vote on individual expenditures.
Otherwise, Thode chalks up the criticism to those on the "far left" and the "far right," with most of the criticism coming from local Internet blogs.
Thode said he received three negative e-mails and more than 100 letters of support after announcing the plan.
"I have received over 100 e-mails from people saying it's a great idea. I even got two or three people, who quite frankly hate me, to support the idea," he said.
Some have raised the possibility of fraud in the survey, saying it will allow individuals to fill out many cards with the candidate of their choice. Thode counters that the type of paper and other aspects of the mail-out itself are designed to prevent fraud.
A phone survey, said Thode, would likely only poll several hundred people.
As for the names included on the ballot, Thode said he included every person that has been named in the media or to himself as possible candidates. Thode said one individual asked that only the three candidates who ran against DeLay in the March primary should be included on the survey, and Thode calls that notion "ridiculous."
Thode contends the person chosen by the survey process would have a greater chance in November.
"If those four people are not representative of mainstream, conservative Republicanism, and if they go out there and pick some radical, nutcase Republican, then we have been horribly impaired," he said.
The survey will be sent this week, said Thode, and it will feature the signatures of himself and of incoming Republican Party Chairman Gary Gillen.
Thode said he chose to conduct the survey now so that it can be returned by May and the results can be known before DeLay's expected resignation.
Those completing the survey will need to place their own stamp on it.
"What I hope to see - and it will occur after I'm gone - is a huge response numbering in the thousands," he said.
The candidates listed in the survey are Pat Baig, Tom Campbell, John Devine, Mike Fjetland, Charlie Howard, Mike Jackson, Don Richardson, Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, Robert Tarlton, Larry Taylor and David Wallace.
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