#TXLEGE: Fallon's Departure Virtually GUARANTEES Texas Senate Moves (significantly) Left

"A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself;
The simple pass on and are punished."
Proverbs 27:12

Meh:

SULPHUR SPRINGS — State Sen. Pat Fallon, R-Prosper, has won the Republican nomination to replace former U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Heath, on the November ballot — and will likely succeed him.

Fallon prevailed Saturday on the first ballot held by county and precinct chairs who had been tasked with replacing Ratcliffe on the November ballot. Fallon won a clear majority of the group, getting 82 votes. The runner-up was former Ratcliffe staffer Jason Ross, who received 34 votes.

The district is solidly red, so Fallon is expected to win in November even though a Democrat, Russell Foster, is also on the ballot.

Congratulations to Pat Fallon. We guess. Although we must confess we find the decision to voluntarily spend time in Washington D.C. to be strange.

But here's where things get really depressing: There is no obvious **good** person lined up to succeed Pat Fallon in the Texas Senate.

Consider the state reps whose districts overlap SD-30:

• Drew Springer -- Gross.  Unfortunately, virtually guarantee that he's running.  Even worse, he's probably the favorite.  Would be Kel Seliger 2.0 with twenty years to get worse.
  

•  James Frank -- Meh.
  

•  Reggie Smith -- Who?!?
  

•  Shelby Slawson (pending) -- Too green.
  

•  Tan Parker -- LOL.
  

•  Phil King -- Meh.

Of those turds, James Frank probably has the most polish.  King and Parker **MIGHT** cross a minimum threshold of acceptability.  But everyone on that list is significantly to the left of Pat Fallon.

Of course, the possiblity exists that someone from completely outside politics might enter the race. We hope that heppens. Because, as you can see, the pickings among current legislators is pretty slim.

Bottom Line: Whatever ultimately happens to Pat Fallon in D.C., you've just injected massive uncertainty into a Texas Senate that had previously been in relatively solid hands.