There's No Need for May 8 Special Election to Fill Terri Hodge's Empty Seat

Wednesday at 5 p.m. was the filing deadline for anyone interested in running in the May 8 special election to fill state Rep. Terri Hodge's District 100 seat -- and the Texas Secretary of State's Web site shows there's but one candidate, Eric Johnson, who trounced guilty-plea-taking Hodge in the...

By Robert Wilonsky

April 8, 2010

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Wednesday at 5 p.m. was the filing deadline for anyone interested in running in the May 8 special election to fill state Rep. Terri Hodge's District 100 seat -- and the Texas Secretary of State's Web site shows there's but one candidate, Eric Johnson, who trounced guilty-plea-taking Hodge in the March 2 Democratic primary and faces no opposition come November's general election. Johnson's campaign just sent out a press release heralding the, um, victory that will allow Johnson to finish Hodge's current term, adding that he "expects to take office almost immediately upon certification of his most recent electoral victory."

Randall Dillard, director of communications for the Secretary of State, is checking to see if anyone filed at the very last minute, just to make sure. (Update: Dillard says there were no late-filing candidates, and is checking to see the exact date when Johnson will take office.) But according to state law, the scheduled election can be canceled if "no candidates have filed opposing a candidate." Says Johnson in this morning's release, "I am grateful for the opportunity to begin serving the people of House District 100 next month instead of having to wait until January 2011."

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