Among the items not dealt with during the legislative session was a proposal to move the Texas Primary from early March to early February in order to compete with California, New York and a host of other states that had already done so.
The Chron suggests, correctly I think, that Texas may now be irrelevant in selecting the nominees for the Democratic or Republican Parties. It's not inconceivable that someone will have either or both races locked up before Texans get a chance to vote. What's more, the candidates that tilt to the left may have the advantage because a good chunk of the states voting February 5th are tend to be liberal or at least moderate. The above two states, along with Illinois, New Jersey and Michigan contain about a quarter of the population. The conservative candidates that have benefited from the previous primary calendars may be at a disadvantage.
Considering that the legislative session broke down over Speaker Tom Craddick's rule over the House, it is worth considering whether his autocratic style may play a key role in Texas' loss of power. Had these fights not occurred, the legislation changing the date may have gone forward.
