BRYAN, Texas -- Good weather normally favors Democrats in Texas. But in the 37 days since Phil Gramm resigned from Congress, bolted the Democratic Party and filed for his old seat as a Republican, little has been normal.
Sunny skies, warm temperatures and a large turnout were expected for Saturday's special election to select the 6th district congressman from among Gramm, nine Democrats and one Libertarian.
Absentee balloting in Brazos County, Gramm's home territory, has surpassed the November general election total, signaling a large turnout.
'We said right from the beginning there isn't nobody that knows nothing about a special election, and damned if that isn't right,' said Brazos County Clerk Frank Boriskie.
'The absentee voters have been average to above average (in income) and almost all of them have sounded off for Gramm. We've had almost no minority voters. That's damned unusual.'
The district's constituency is Democrat, and generally more rural and poor that the remainder of the state. It strongly supported President Reagan in 1980, but leaned to Democrat Mark White in the 1982 governor's race.
Analysts say the only question is whether Gramm -- portraying himself as a party martyr and not a party traitor -- can win outright with over half the vote. His main opponents, former state Rep. Dan Kubiak and humorist-lecturer John Henry Faulk, concede victory and hope merely to be in the two-person runoff.
Gramm was removed from the House budget Committee by the Democratic leadership for his pro-Reagan fiscal policies. On Jan. 5, he resigned from Congress and the party. Later that day then-Gov. Bill Clements, a Republican, scheduled the special election.
'We are confident we'll win without a runoff and when (House Speaker Thomas) 'Tip' O'Neill swears me in on Valentine's Day, I'll be carrying a message from the people of my district for him and the country,' Gramm said.
Kubiak and Faulk have cast the election as a referendum on Reaganomics.
'We still feel real good about getting into the runoff, and that will give us more time to campaign and raise money,' said Ken Bryan, Kubiak's campaign manager.
Gramm has collected $550,000 since joining the GOP and carried over a $200,000 surplus from his 1982 race. Gramm reported expenditures of more than $140,000 the first three weeks of the campaign, but has not released any figures since. In contrast, Kubiak received $120,000 and will spend all of it. Faulk has a budget of $60,000.
