Texas Democrats Are Lining Up To Take On Congress' Biggest Climate Denier

WASHINGTON — Midterm elections may be a year and a half away, but in Texas’ 21st Congressional District the race to rid Washington of one of its most stalwart deniers of near-universally accepted climate science is already well underway. At least nine Democratic candidates are vying for a chance to unseat 16-term Republican Rep. Lamar Smith, chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and an early and loyal supporter of President Donald Trump. And the Democratic primary field in the district, which stretches from Austin to San Antonio and into West Texas, is only expected to grow. “Smith has really put a target on his back,” said Adam Reiser of The Race to Replace, a group of Democratic organizers working to support progressive candidates capable of ousting Smith.  Reiser said left-leaning voters in central Texas are anxious to unseat Smith: “People are paying attention in a way that I’ve never seen in my life.” It won’t be an easy race for whoever eventually becomes the Democratic nominee; the district is both heavily gerrymandered and historically Republican. Smith’s Democratic opponent last November, Tom Wakely, tallied just 36 percent of the vote to Smith’s 57 percent. But both Reiser and Jason Sugg of TX21 Indivisible, another liberal group working in the district, are hopeful 2018 will be different. Blue voters are moving into cities like Austin and San Antonio, and pol...
Source: Science - The Huffington Post - Category: Science Source Type: news