Happy Days Are Here...Again

Texas Congressional District 23 is one distrito grande...

and the folks in it yesterday selected this fellow to serve as their new congressional representative:

Rodriguez upsets incumbent Bonilla

Greg Jefferson
Express-News
Web Posted: 12/13/2006 02:13 AM CST

Former Congressman Ciro Rodriguez completed a stunning political turnaround Tuesday with an upset win over incumbent Republican Henry Bonilla that topped off the Democratic takeover of Congress.

Charles Kuffner at Off the Kuff has an interesting insight on this win:

Way back when, I thought the Dems should have made CD23 a priority. It took longer than I would have liked, and I admit that along the way I too had serious doubts about Ciro Rodriguez's ability to win (he did drop out of the race at one point, after all), but it should be crystal clear now why this was a good idea. Not just to bump the Democrats' gains up one seat to a net of 30, but to knock off a prominent Republican incumbent who might be Texas' junior Senator-elect today had Kay Bailey Hutchison chosen to come home. That's a huge deal. (emphasis mine)

Yes, that is a huge deal; the Texas senatorial team of Bonilla and Cornyn would have been a nightmare for all things just and fair.

Henry Bonilla took a hard line on immigration reform and (thankfully) it looks like folks in CD23 didn't take kindly to that approach.

¡Hasta la vista, Bonilla!