Texas congressional races closely watched

DALLAS, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- The presidential candidates have nearly ignored Texas in this year's election because it's solid Bush country, but five congressional races are being closely watched.

Five Democrats are fighting for political survival because of a controversial redistricting plan passed last year by the Republican-controlled Legislature at the behest of U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

Republicans currently have a 10-seat margin in the House and they see those five Texas seats are critical to maintaining that control because of possible losses this year in other states, according to some political analysts.

In two Texas races incumbents are actually facing off against each other. In Dallas, Republican Pete Sessions and Democrat Martin Frost are pitted against each other and in West Texas Republican Randy Neugebauer faces Democrat Charlies Stenholm.

A recent newspaper poll gave Sessions a 6-point lead over Frost in the Dallas race and a Texas Tech University tracking poll show Neugebauer with a 30-point lead last week in that contest.

Democrat Rep. Chet Edwards may have the best chance of upsetting the Republican plan to sweep all five seats, according to most analysts. He is facing Republican state Rep. Arlene Wohlgemuth in the 17th district in central Texas, which happens to include President Bush's ranch.