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Photo: John Davenport, STAFF / San Antonio Express-News
William Negley (arm outstretched) works the room Thursday January 11, 2018 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse during a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio Republican Women. The forum introduced 15 candidates running for the seat held in Congressional District 21 held by Representative Lamar Smith.
lessWilliam Negley (arm outstretched) works the room Thursday January 11, 2018 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse during a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio Republican Women. The forum introduced 15
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Congressional District 21 candidate Samuel Temple (foreground, holding microphone) speaks Thursday January 11, 2018 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse during a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio Republican Women. The forum introduced 15 candidates running for the seat held in Congressional District 21 held by Representative Lamar Smith.
lessCongressional District 21 candidate Samuel Temple (foreground, holding microphone) speaks Thursday January 11, 2018 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse during a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio
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Congressional District 21 candidate Ryan Krause (foreground, holding microphone) speaks Thursday January 11, 2018 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse during a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio Republican Women. The forum introduced 15 candidates running for the seat held in Congressional District 21 held by Representative Lamar Smith.
lessCongressional District 21 candidate Ryan Krause (foreground, holding microphone) speaks Thursday January 11, 2018 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse during a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio
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Congressional District 21 candidate Anthony J. White (foreground, holding microphone) speaks Thursday January 11, 2018 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse during a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio Republican Women. The forum introduced 15 candidates running for the seat held in Congressional District 21 held by Representative Lamar Smith.
lessCongressional District 21 candidate Anthony J. White (foreground, holding microphone) speaks Thursday January 11, 2018 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse during a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio
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Congressional District 21 candidate Chip Roy (foreground, holding microphone) speaks Thursday January 11, 2018 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse during a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio Republican Women. The forum introduced 15 candidates running for the seat held in Congressional District 21 held by Representative Lamar Smith.
lessCongressional District 21 candidate Chip Roy (foreground, holding microphone) speaks Thursday January 11, 2018 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse during a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio
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Congressional District 21 candidate Jason Isaac (foreground, holding sign) speaks Thursday January 11, 2018 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse during a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio Republican Women. The forum introduced 15 candidates running for the seat held in Congressional District 21 held by Representative Lamar Smith.
lessCongressional District 21 candidate Jason Isaac (foreground, holding sign) speaks Thursday January 11, 2018 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse during a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio Republican
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Congressional District 21 candidate Francisco "Quico" Canseco (foreground, holding microphone) speaks Thursday January 11, 2018 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse during a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio Republican Women. The forum introduced 15 candidates running for the seat held in Congressional District 21 held by Representative Lamar Smith.
lessCongressional District 21 candidate Francisco "Quico" Canseco (foreground, holding microphone) speaks Thursday January 11, 2018 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse during a forum held during a meeting of the
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Congressional District 21 candidate Jennifer Sarver (holding microphone) speaks Thursday January 11, 2018 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse during a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio Republican Women. The forum introduced 15 candidates running for the seat held in Congressional District 21 held by Representative Lamar Smith.
lessCongressional District 21 candidate Jennifer Sarver (holding microphone) speaks Thursday January 11, 2018 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse during a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio Republican
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Congressional District 21 candidate Susan Narvaiz (holding microphone) speaks Thursday January 11, 2018 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse during a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio Republican Women. The forum introduced 15 candidates running for the seat held in Congressional District 21 held by Representative Lamar Smith.
lessCongressional District 21 candidate Susan Narvaiz (holding microphone) speaks Thursday January 11, 2018 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse during a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio Republican
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Congressional District 21 candidate Mauro Garza (holding microphone) speaks Thursday January 11, 2018 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse during a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio Republican Women. The forum introduced 15 candidates running for the seat held in Congressional District 21 held by Representative Lamar Smith.
lessCongressional District 21 candidate Mauro Garza (holding microphone) speaks Thursday January 11, 2018 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse during a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio Republican
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Congressional District 21 candidate Peggy Wardlaw (holding microphone) speaks Thursday January 11, 2018 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse during a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio Republican Women. The forum introduced 15 candidates running for the seat held in Congressional District 21 held by Representative Lamar Smith.
lessCongressional District 21 candidate Peggy Wardlaw (holding microphone) speaks Thursday January 11, 2018 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse during a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio Republican
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Congressional District 21 candidate Ivan Andarza (holding microphone) speaks Thursday January 11, 2018 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse during a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio Republican Women. The forum introduced 15 candidates running for the seat held in Congressional District 21 held by Representative Lamar Smith.
lessCongressional District 21 candidate Ivan Andarza (holding microphone) speaks Thursday January 11, 2018 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse during a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio Republican
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Congressional District 21 candidate Al M. Poteet (holding microphone) speaks Thursday January 11, 2018 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse during a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio Republican Women. The forum introduced 15 candidates running for the seat held in Congressional District 21 held by Representative Lamar Smith.
lessCongressional District 21 candidate Al M. Poteet (holding microphone) speaks Thursday January 11, 2018 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse during a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio Republican
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Congressional District 21 candidate Eric Burkhart (holding microphone) speaks Thursday January 11, 2018 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse during a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio Republican Women. The forum introduced 15 candidates running for the seat held in Congressional District 21 held by Representative Lamar Smith.
lessCongressional District 21 candidate Eric Burkhart (holding microphone) speaks Thursday January 11, 2018 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse during a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio Republican
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Congressional District 21 candidate Robert Stovall (holding microphone) speaks Thursday January 11, 2018 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse during a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio Republican Women. The forum introduced 15 candidates running for the seat held in Congressional District 21 held by Representative Lamar Smith.
lessCongressional District 21 candidate Robert Stovall (holding microphone) speaks Thursday January 11, 2018 at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse during a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio Republican
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Fifteen candidates for the Republican nomination to run for Rep. Lamar Smith’s Congressional District 21 seat appear at a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio Republican Women at the Old San Francisco Steakhouse.
lessFifteen candidates for the Republican nomination to run for Rep. Lamar Smith’s Congressional District 21 seat appear at a forum held during a meeting of the San Antonio Republican Women at the Old San
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Forum brings together GOP candidates in crowded race for Texas’ 21st Congressional District
Fifteen of the 18 Republican candidates in the primary for U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith’s congressional seat made their pitch Thursday at a forum organized by the San Antonio Republican Women.
In a crowded race that is all but guaranteed to go to a runoff after the March primaries, the forum offered the candidates a valuable yet brief opportunity to answer a key question for their largely undecided electorate: Who should succeed Smith, a conservative bulwark for the district since 1987?
Many of the candidates have established similar, if not identical, conservative positions on key issues — something Chip Roy, a former chief of staff for Sen. Ted Cruz and one of the congressional hopefuls, acknowledged Thursday.
After rattling off a laundry list of conservative positions on which Roy said most of the candidates would agree — abortion, guns and government spending — Roy posed a rhetorical inquiry to the crowd.
“The question is, who do you trust to go to Washington, to fight for you, and to do those things?” Roy said.
Though some hopefuls, including quantitative mathematician Samuel Temple, billed themselves as more moderate Republicans willing to work with Democrats, the candidates on Thursday found themselves differing more in style and background than in ideology.
The candidates were allotted one minute each to give introductions and another to make pitches for their respective candidacies.
State Rep. Jason Isaac of Dripping Springs made a case for his track record in the Legislature, where he has served District 45 since 2011. His slogan — which he described as a mission statement — to “Make America Like Texas” encapsulates the message he gave Thursday.
“Our model of government works here, and there’s one place we need to take it, and that’s Washington, D.C.,” Isaac said.
A few candidates, including Army veteran and former executive Al Poteet and former CIA officer Eric Burkhart, pledged they would limit themselves to three terms in office. Poteet also pointed out that several candidates live outside the district, which stretches from the North Side to South Austin and across parts of the Hill Country. (House members are not required to live in the district they represent.)
Other candidates, including former Bexar County GOP Chairman Robert Stovall, expressed their support for President Donald Trump’s agenda and worldview.
“Donald Trump was right when he said Washington, D.C., is a swamp,” Stovall said. “We’re seeing some stuff get done with the successful year he’s had. But more needs to be done.”
Early voting in Texas begins Feb. 20, two weeks ahead of the March 6 primary election. Candidates remain in the early stages of reaching out to voters and building name recognition, but a significant milestone in the race will come at the end of the month, the deadline for candidates to submit year-end reports to the Federal Election Commission.
GOP consultant Matt Mackowiak said candidates for District 21 would need to report about $100,000 “to be credible.” In general, Mackowiak said, the less name identification a candidate has, the more money the candidate will need to raise.
Last month, the Express-News reported the results of a preliminary poll commissioned by Fight for Tomorrow, a super PAC founded by Mackowiak. The poll showed the potential importance of name recognition in a primary campaign shortened by Smith’s late retirement announcement.
In the poll, former U.S. Rep. Francisco “Quico” Canseco, who represented District 23 for one term, led the field with 22.4 percent support.
Of the 419 likely voters, 62 percent polled knew of Canseco, who had filed paperwork to challenge Joaquin Castro in District 20. More Republicans reported viewing Canseco unfavorably than favorably.
“He kind of has a high floor and low ceiling. But that high floor is an advantage with 18 candidates,” Mackowiak said. “It makes him a candidate with a realistic shot at the runoff.”
Jasper Scherer is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of his stories here. | jscherer@express-news.net | @jaspscherer
