House incumbents write checks for Texas runoff

By MICHELLE MITTELSTADT / Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Hoping to build strength in the new Congress, House members have donated more than a quarter-million dollars to their parties' candidates in today's runoff elections in Texas.

The Democrats have opened their checkbooks a bit wider, prodded by President Clinton and a plea by House leaders.

Ken Bentsen, a first-term House member, and Nick Lampson, a challenger, have taken a combined $174,750 from House Democrats over the past two months. Their GOP foes have taken just over $100,000 from fellow Republicans over the same period, according to reports to the Federal Election Commission.

Nearly all the Democratic money has come since Nov. 18, when House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Martin Frost made a pitch for donations.

The president, meanwhile, dropped by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee at lunch Friday to wring some final cash to benefit Bentsen and Lampson.

Clinton "wants to finish the year on a very strong note," said Frost, who also is a Texas Democrat.

On the Republican side, Rep. Steve Stockman has collected $58,500 from 52 GOP lawmakers since October. He is facing Lampson, who has gotten $77,750 from 69 Democratic members over the same period.

Republican Dolly Madison McKenna, who is challenging Bentsen for a House seat representing Houston, has received $45,000 from 36 GOP lawmakers, including $10,000 from leadership committees operated by Speaker Newt Gingrich and Majority Leader Dick Armey.

But Bentsen has taken in $97,000 since October from 80 Democratic House members and eight incoming freshmen - $79,000 of it since Gephardt and Frost made their pitch in mid-November.

The December runoff is the result of a redistricting dispute that went to the Supreme Court. The boundaries of 13 districts were redrawn, primary results were thrown out and the Nov. 5 election was thrown open to all comers. Runoffs were ordered for any race in which no one won 50 percent or more.

Three races were pushed to runoffs - all in the Houston area - but only two have candidates of opposing parties. Republicans Kevin Brady and Eugene Fontenot are vying in the other runoff.

Prior to the runoffs, Republicans held a 227-205 majority in the House.