DALLAS -- Democratic voters in Dallas and Tarrant counties this week narrowed the field of candidates wanting to represent new congressional district 33.
State Representative Marc Veasey of Fort Worth and former State Representative Domingo Garcia of Dallas are already in sharp disagreement on support for the F-35 fighter assembled in Fort Worth and a vote by Veasey in last year's legislative session.
Lockheed's F-35 could face budget cuts soon because of delays and cost overruns.
But Veasey said in congress he'd protect it.
"The next generation of planes at the plant that's going to keep employment strong at Lockheed Martin is the F-35 so whomever is elected to this position has to be willing to fight for that plane," said Veasey.
6,100 workers assemble the plane in Fort Worth, a critical part of the local economy.
But during a taping of Inside Texas Politics, Garcia said the Pentagon should keep making the F-16 and scrap the F-35.
"I think that the F-35 is unproven, untested and right now we're talking about spending billions of dollars on that plant on that plane that may never fly," he said.
Candidates backed by Republican mega donor Harold Simmons of Dallas often don't fly with Democratic voters.
Yet Garcia, as a state rep, took $1,000 from Simmons in 2000.
And Veasey accepted $1,000 from a Simmons PAC last year that he later returned since the PAC formed with Simmons as the sole contributor and not the minimum of 10 as required by law.
A Simmons owned company, Waste Control Specialists, got legislative approval last year to take low level nuclear waste from 38 states that'll roll along north Texas highways to a west Texas dump site.
Veasey said he has got good environmental record. But Garcia tried to tie that vote to him.
Garcia asked Veasey directly, "Mr. Veasey did you vote to put radioactive waste dump in Texas for Mr. Simmons? Didn't you vote to do that?"
"I would need to go back and see exactly what was inside of the vote when it took place. But I think everybody is concerned about what happens to this radioactive waste whether or not it stays in our neighborhood," Veasey said.
Veasey didn't vote on final passage of the Simmons backed bill but did support it on second reading that advanced the bill, according to his campaign.
The political turbulence in this runoff race is just starting.
The entire face off between Garcia and Veasey can be seen on Inside Texas Politics Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. on WFAA Channel 8.
E-mail bwatson@wfaa.com
