Is Brimer Running Scared Already ?

After the Senate District 10 political shenanigans of the last couple of days, I have to wonder if the Brimer campaign is already running scared -- before the primary has even been held. Does Senator Brimer believe he might lose in a head-to-head election confrontation with Democratic candidate Wendy Davis?

Davis is a good candidate and popular in the district. Maybe that's why Brimer's political consultant, Bryan Eppstein, is trying to get rid of her before the general election campaign even begins.

Eppstein has an "in" with the Fort Worth Fire Department. He represented them in their battle to get collective-bargaining rights from the city. That made it easy for him to label Wendy Davis as an enemy of the Fire Department, and talk three supposedly Democratic firemen into writing Tarrant County Democratic Chairman Art Brender and claiming Davis was violating the law by running.

There is a state law that prevents a sitting council member from running for the state legislature. Davis resigned her council seat in August, but was required by law to continue representing her district until her replacement, who has already been elected, could be sworn in.

It now looks like Eppstein and the firemen may have been trying to split hairs by invoking the state law. Brender took the matter to the Secretary of State's office. The Secretary of State has put the matter back into Bremer's hands as the filing authority for the primary election of District 10.

A spokesman for the Secretary of State said state law is not clear on whether the eligibility was OK when Davis resigned or whether it was OK only after her replacement was sworn in. He said the matter was one that Brender would have to decide.

Wendy Davis has done nothing wrong. Everything she has done was open and above-board. Her resignation was accepted by the council last August. Brender should end this matter by declaring Davis eligible to run for the senate seat. He should not let a political consultant for the Republican opponent misuse state law to save his candidate's job.

Tarrant County has recently become known for Republican dirty tricks. This is just one more. If Brimer wants to keep his job, let him win it in a fair election.

Evidently, he's afraid he won't be able to do that.