YCT PAC: TUFFY HAMILTON – STILL THE SECOND MOST LIBERAL REPUBLICAN IN THE TX HOUSE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 3, 2012
Contact: Tony McDonald, Senior Vice Chairman
Mobile: (512) 923-6893
Email: [email protected]
Austin, TX—Young Conservatives of Texas PAC (YCT PAC) responded to allegations today by the Mike “Tuffy” Hamilton’s campaign that YCT PAC’s website, www.thetruthabouttuffy.com, had inaccurately alleged that Hamilton was the second most liberal Republican in the Texas House.
Today, YCT confirmed that Hamilton was ranked the second most liberal member of the Texas House. The Hamilton campaign embarrassingly claimed that an independent Rice University study named his conservative opponent, Representative James White, as the most liberal Republican for the 82nd Texas Legislature. Furthermore, they then admitted Hamilton was the second most liberal but claimed it didn’t count because it was 3 years ago. In fact, according to the most recent study release by Mark Jones of Rice University, available at http://bakerinstitute.org/publications/POL-pub-JonesTexasHouse-092211.pdf, Hamilton was again named one of the most liberal Republican legislators (this time, the 17th most liberal legislator) while Representative James White was recognized as the 15th most conservative representative.
On page 13 of his most recent report, Mark Jones notes that the primary in House District 19 offers the “sharpest ideological difference between . . . two primary competitors.” He notes explicitly that “While White’s Lib-Con Score is significantly more conservative than that of 58 of his fellow Republicans, Hamilton’s is significantly more conservative than that of only three,” former Democrats Aaron Pena, Allan Ritter, and Chuck Hopson. “By the same token, only two Republicans (Bill Zedler and Ken Paxton) have voting records that are significantly more conservative than that of White, while 48 Republicans have records significantly more conservative than Hamilton’s.”
“Tuffy Hamilton can’t run from his record as a liberal, go-along politician,” added Jeff Morris, YCT State Chairman. “Mark Jones’ research has confirmed what our ratings and what capitol observers all know: Tuffy Hamilton is an establishment politician while James White is a true, principled conservative.”
Jones’ research reinforces the results of YCT’s ratings of the Texas legislature, available at www.yct.org/ratings. Hamilton received a score of 63 on YCT’s Ratings for the 82nd Texas legislature and carries a score of 65 over his entire legislative career.
“I don’t know who the Hamilton campaign thinks they’re fooling by claiming that conservative Representative James White is the most liberal in the state,” said McDonald. “Everyone knows that Tuffy Hamilon is a liberal career politician. Our ratings show it. Mark Jones’ study shows it. That’s why we endorsed Representative James White for reelection and why we unveiled www.thetruthabouttuffy.com. Voters deserve to know the truth about Tuffy Hamilton’s record.”
YCT PAC is the political arm of Young Conservatives of Texas, a non-partisan organization which has promoted conservatism at universities across the Lone Star State for over three decades. The State’s most active political youth organization, YCT is composed of hundreds of members and alumni who participate in the full spectrum of politics. YCT issues the most respected ratings of the Texas legislature and is the only conservative group to have done so without interruption over the past 19 legislative sessions. For a full list of YCT’s endorsements, please visit www.YCT.org/endorsements.
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