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Rep. Bonilla Loses Texas Runoff Vote

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Former Congressman Ciro Rodriguez defeated seven-term Republican Henry Bonilla in a Texas runoff election Tuesday, adding another Democrat to Congress.

With nearly all precincts reporting in the state's largest district, Rodriguez had 54 percent to Bonilla's 45 percent.

Bonilla has called Rodriguez to concede, the incumbent's spokesman Phil Ricks said.

They were the top vote-getters in a special election held Nov. 7, but neither got 50 percent, prompting the runoff.

"I thought it would be, in all honesty, would be a lot closer than it was in the end," Rodriguez said at his campaign party. "I can assure you I'm going to be reaching out and working with everyone. When you get elected, you represent everyone in the district."

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  Bonilla was seeking an eighth term in Washington, while Rodriguez was hoping to return after a two-year absence. He served from 1997-2005 in another district but was ousted in the March 2004 Democratic primary by Henry Cuellar, a Laredo Democrat. Rodriguez lost again to Cuellar in this year's primary.

The Supreme Court ruled in June that a 2003 reconfiguration of Bonilla's district was unconstitutional because it diluted minority votes, and a three-judge panel redrew the district in August to restore Hispanics that had been shunted into another district.

Bonilla blamed his loss on the Supreme Court ruling, telling supporters, "We just couldn't score again and again."

"But that's OK. This is a different time now," he said. "I can tell you I've had 14 years as a member of the House of Representatives, and I count my blessings."

The new district stretches from San Antonio south to the Mexican border and almost to El Paso in the west.

Rodriguez, Bonilla and six others ran in a free-for-all special election Nov. 7. The goal of the six Democrats was to keep Bonilla below 50 percent and force him into a runoff. It worked, with Rodriguez in second place.

© 2006 Associated Press.

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