GOP Bigwigs to Pete Sessions: Drop Dead

AS former Dallas state ReP. Paul Ragsdale used to say, “politics ain’t no love-in.” If you doubt it, look at this month’s Republican primary in the Fifth Congressional District,

In the Republican landslide of 1994, long-shot candidate Pete Sessions surprised everyone, tak”ing 47 percent of the vote against long-time Democratic incumbent John Bryant. But that near miss didn’t guarantee Sessions his party’s nomination this time around. Not only does he face a primary opponent in former Dallas City Councilman Glenn Box, but much of the local GOP establishment has lined up behind Box, including former mayors Jack Evans and Steve Bartlett; Ray Hunt, Dave Fox, Tom Luce, and Dallas icons W. A. Criswell, Tom Landry, and Roger Staubach.

Why not stay with the man who almost pulled off a miracle? The official line comes from Republican state Rep. John Carona, who supports Box: “Pete Sessions did a fine job in ] 994, but the way the party and the district have changed since then means we need a different candidate. Voters in the Fifth District need someone who is even more conservative and committed, and in that Box has the edge.”

Privately, Box campaign officials call Sessions a lightweight and a loser who isn’t up to the rigors of representing the Firth District even if he beats Democrat John Pouland, who filed after Bryant decided to make a kamikaze run at U.S. Senator Phil Gramm. They sneer at Sessions, pointing out that he has never held public office or owned a business. “Pete was fine when we thought we didn’t have ii chance for that seat,” says a Box adviser. “Now that we do, we need a real candidate. “

Box, 36, served as an aide to former U.S. Rep. Jirn Collins, the patron saint of the Dallas County GOP, and was considered the most conservative member of the City Council during his three terms. Yet Sessions is hardly a George McGovern liberal. He supports the Contract with America, hares gun control, and opposes affirmative action and public housing. He has also lined up some impressive Republican support, including County Commissioner Jim Jackson and business leaders Jere Thompson and Ebby Halliday.

“Of course I’m disappointed that all of those people aren’t supporting me,” says Sessions of Box’s blue-chip backers. “But there aren’t any sour grapes. Glenn Box and I are both big boys, and we’ll each run our races with our own teams. After all, competition is good. That’s what this is all about.”