Shelly Sekula-Gibbs says the reason she got clobbered in yesterday’s GOP run-off for the Congressional District 22 nomination was that Pete Olson went negative:
“The positive message we put out of our campaign was not strong enough to overcome all of the negativity that came out of my opponent’s campaign,” she said at an election night party at Mamacita’s Restaurant in Webster.
Huh? Don’t we have a pot and kettle problem here? Besides, I am always amused when a candidate cries “negative campaigning” when someone points to unflattering details about the candidate’s record.
Through this layman’s eye - and I have no insider information on either campaign so these observations may be so much hot air - it seems that Sekula-Gibbs was out-managed and out-campaigned. Though she spent over a million dollars - and twice as much as Olson - her message didn’t resonate. While he focused on bread and butter GOP issues - such as her past shortcomings on immigration and abortion - she labeled him an “outsider” (a claim easily dismissed when one learns his background) and pounded on the Trans Texas Corridor (certainly a bit more esoteric to voters than immigration and abortion).
Simply put, the alleged outsider seemed to have a better feel for his constituents, and it showed - he got nearly 70% of the vote. How much Sekula-Gibbs’ own baggage - such as her short but tumultuous stint in Washington - hurt her is unclear, but it surely wasn’t an advantage.
To her credit, SSG turned to the future:
She called on her backers to get behind the Republican candidate in the fall.
As for her own future, “the former Houston City Council member said she was happy to return to her Clear Lake dermatology practice.”
That’s something that makes many of us happy.
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32 Responses to “SSG Blames Loss on Olson’s “Negative” Tactics”Search
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“That’s something that makes many of us happy”
Well said. And now that she is a former City Council member may we all hope she stays that way.
Negative attacks? Like the one where he supports the TCC when it was a lie?
Oh, I’m sure she’ll be really happy going from Congress to acne. His being a veteran and her saying he wasn’t “really” from there didn’t help her at all either. His being associated with conservatives and her flip flopping all over the place didn’t help her.
And finally, spending like a Washington politician and running off her whole staff didn’t help her.
Maybe KSEV just reaches farther into her territory than it does Ron Paul’s.
SSG ruined any chance she had of being elected when she forced a costly special election and taking office for 7 weeks, then acting like a total moron in the way she handled the 7 weeks.
She would’ve lost this election for that reason alone even if she had shown conservative tendencies in the past, which she didn’t.
Good riddance.
Since I and hopefully the majority of District 22 were in the “ABL” (Anybody But Lampson) mode, on to the November elections.
Splinter, meet beam.
I hope this is finally the last we hear of this woman in any sort of political capacity.
Go away already, Pimple Popper, M.D.!
Similar things happened in the race to replace the Hoe in District 112, except for the result. There were “polls” being conducted that were talking about “all the negative campaigning” where the voter was asked about Angie Chen Button’s contributions to Democrats, then about Randy Dunning’s “bunker” in his backyard (He’s an amateur radio operator, with a storm shelter). Several other vicious rumors were spread through fake polls like this.
Unfortunately, Angie Chen Button won and will face the Democrat in November.
4. BigJolly
I think you’re right. The timeline itself is persuasive:
- SSG wins special election for Delay’s seat.
- SSG goes to DC and shows her arse.
- SSG gets slaughtered in runoff for same seat.
I may be a simpleton, but there seems to be a cause and effect here. (Of course, having an opponent like Olson factored in, too.)
The right opponent was elected in the Republican Primary runoff…great. Now…focus on what needs to happen now. To win this seat in November. Let SSG go…the attempt at witty name calling is fine but a waste of time. Now…100% effort…beat Nick Lampson and sent him back to Golden Triangle. It isn’t enough that Olson beat SSG in a primary (although it was a nice start)…it is about beating Lampson.
Pete Olson needs to join his fellow co-signers in proposing the Federal SAVE ACT.
State immigration legislation is working well enough, but their is a Federal bill pending that has teeth in it. The SAVE ACT (H.R. 4088) packs a punch and stops predator employers for using taxpayers dollars to fill their own pockets. It has the power to hire hundreds of federal agents to enforce workplace laws.
Democrats are trying to derail its pending vote, because it will send the 12 to 20 million illegal immigrants fleeing home.
Demand your Democratic representative co-author the SAVE ACT. Go to NUMBERSUSA to read the raw facts, not the spin, lies or rhetoric from special interest groups?
Keep calling your Democratic Congressmen today to co-author THE SAVE ACT! Toll free numbers include 18778516437 and 18662200044, or call toll 12022243121 AND REGISTER YOUR OUTRAGE at ongoing efforts to keep our country from enforcing its immigration laws!
T-Hawkk,
That’s “Dr. Councilwoman Congresswoman Pimple Popper, M.D,” to you pal.
I think it was the inter-species cavorting that cooked her…uh…pelican.
#10,
I second that motion!!
Goodby and good riddance SSG. Go away and stay away.
Now we need to send Pete Olson back to DC to replace the lampost.
Will be interesting to hear from Mike Richards. Of course we probably will never hear the real reason he came out for SSG.
Negative tactics???? SSG, look thineself in a mirror.
16. Adee
Indeed. Her quote surely suggests she’s incapable of being a gracious loser.
It is hard to believe that Shelly many names can say that with a stright face. Every Shelly add I heard was an attack on Pete Olson and some of the attacks involved an outright lie.
#18, it’s all in the Botox! She can’t say it any other way!
Can anyone say: “Sour Grapes?”
I am sooooooooo weepy for her.
#16, you are assuming she can see her reflection in a mirror.
I don’t think Shelly is gone. No, I’m afraid she will wait quietly until we are least expecting it and rise again to enter the sacred halls of politics. BTW since I was elected to be a delegate to the state convention, I have expected the money to start rolling in. Aren’t there supposed to be envelopes containing money delivered to my mailbox? ( giggling)
23. aw
Go look in your freezer.
Rick! Of course!! My feezer……. the William Jefferson freezer fairy, but wait, that’s the democrat fairy. What do the republicans use? Don’t tell me foot tapping in men’s restrooms!
AAArrrrrgggggghhhhhhhhh! Please no, please no, please no. At least let’s go with Duke Cunningham and his yachts courtesty of defense contractors.
At least that would be garden variety corruption.
How is it that I live all the way down in Sant Fe, Texas (Galveston County), and I’m still in district 22? That must be one STRANGE looking district map.
Where do I get MY Yacht?
#28 tsk tsk…… one doesn’t know when one gets the yacht…….. it just arrives. The thing is, I am worth more than one. I will need a yacht basin. hehehehehehe
I am glad that Pete won…I guess that this is one example when a political machine is a good thing.
Glad somebody can campaign and make every penny count. There’s a good example of fiscal responsibility since Pete reportedly spent half what Shelley did.
GAWD! Why doesnt she just go away. She is like that psychotic girlfriend who wont take no for an answer and throws pebbles at your window at 3 in the morning.
Get a FREAKIN job Shiela!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!