Amarillo Globe News - Thornberry Wins House Race

News Article

By Jim McBride

U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry was soundly leading three challengers late Tuesday in the race for the 13th Congressional District and appeared to be headed for an 11th term in the U.S. House.

The Associated Press projected Thornberry as the winner in the 13th District race.

With 326 of 384 precincts reporting late Tuesday, Thornberry captured 83 percent of the vote, Democrat Mike Minter had earned 14 percent of ballots cast, Green Party Candidate Don Cook earned 0.68 percent and Libertarian Emily Pivoda received 1.9 percent of votes cost.

"It's an incredible honor to represent our area in the U.S. House and especially with so many problems here at home and around the world. I really am tremendously grateful for the amount of trust that people put in me," said Thornberry, a Clarendon Republican.

If Republicans captured the U.S. Senate, Thornberry said he hoped that House and Senate leaders would work together with President Barack Obama to solve some of the nation's more pressing problems.

Thornberry, 56, fended off two Republican challengers in the March primaries to earn the GOP nomination for the 13th Congressional District, a seat he has held since winning the 1994 election after defeating Democrat Bill Sarpalius.

During the campaign, Thornberry said even if Republicans gained control of the Senate, a full-scale repeal of health care legislation often referred to as Obamacare isn't likely and said he favors a more commonsense approach.

"Meanwhile, though everybody's insurance rates continue to go up, Medicare continues to be squeezed, the (health care) law is less popular now than when it was passed, so there may be a chance to rein in some of its excesses," he said then.

Republicans, Thornberry said, need to be prepared to offer viable alternatives to some of the more unpopular aspects of the Affordable Care Act.

Pre-existing conditions, he said, are a particular problem for many Americans and Congress should examine better ways for such patients to obtain insurance, whether it would be through state high-risk pools or even a national high-risk pool.

All election results are unofficial until the votes are canvassed.

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