Ralph Hall made history this week, not just for being the first incumbent defeated this year as he lost in his 18th bid for re-election.
The oldest member of Congress — described as an institution in Texas politics — also became the first incumbent Republican House member from Texas to lose his party’s nomination in nearly 150 years, according to a review by SmartPolitics, a nonpartisan political news site.
Hall’s loss to John Ratcliffe, a 48-year-old former U.S. attorney backed by the Tea Party, ends a streak of 256 House primary wins by incumbent Texas Republicans.
“I just got whipped and got beat,” Hall, 91, of Rockwall, told supporters after the election results were tallied Tuesday night.
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Thu May 29, 2014 2:31 pm
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Front Porch Punditry