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Hometown divided on DeLay case

SUGAR LAND, Texas — Mention U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay to Rich and Jill Maynard, and you won't initially hear about money laundering or scandal-plagued lobbyists.

Instead, their first reaction is to credit the local congressman with helping expand U.S. 59, the key artery connecting this ever-growing suburb to Houston.

"That's what affects the citizens more," said Rich Maynard, who works in construction management for a homebuilder.

Now that DeLay, R-Sugar Land, has surrendered hopes of regaining his post as leader of the Republican majority in the U.S. House, his next major political test will be to persuade voters here in Fort Bend and three other counties to send him back to Congress for a 12th term.

DeLay announced Saturday that he would not try to reclaim his leadership post.

Residents in DeLay's hometown expressed everything from steadfast support to downright disappointment to a wait-and-see indifference Sunday, largely depending on their own party preferences.

Several people said they had no opinions to share because they were unfamiliar with his case, and even some who have followed it said it isn't clear to them why he's in trouble.

DeLay has been indicted on money-laundering and conspiracy charges based on alleged activities to help elect Republicans to the Texas Legislature in 2002. He claims that he is the target of a politically motivated Democratic prosecutor, Travis County's Ronnie Earle.

Business administrator Carl Gossard, sitting on a park bench as he watched his son practice basketball at an elementary school Sunday, said he's voted a straight Republican ticket in the last few elections but is concerned about DeLay's case. But he's not sure what to make of it.

"Certainly, if he's convicted of something, there would be no hope of voting for him," Gossard said. "But it could be that the prosecutor is playing a political game."

Three Republicans have filed to run against DeLay in the March primary, and former Rep. Nick Lampson, a Democrat who lost his re-election bid in another district in 2004, is expected to face him in November.

In a recent CNN-USA Today-Gallop poll in DeLay's district, 52 percent of the people surveyed said they would vote against him. DeLay campaign aides dismissed the poll because it did not include the names of his opponents.

Jill Maynard, a stay-at-home mom, said she thinks the charges against DeLay will play some role in her decision about voting for him.

"It depends on who's running against him," she said. "I would look more at the issues. For me it's more important what they stand for."

Georgia Dragonir, sitting by a fountain outside the Sugar Land City Hall where DeLay made his Saturday announcement, said she's still inclined to vote for him. She said DeLay does not get proper credit for the good work that he does, such as the times she's seen him raising money for local charities.

"I don't think it's that different from what anybody else has done," she said about the charges against DeLay. "They're trying to slam him."

One of her friends, teacher Tammie Patek, said DeLay often shows up at groundbreakings across town.

"He didn't want to step down, but he's looking at the overall scene of what's good for the Republican Party," Patek said. "I have to respect that."

But familiarity breeds contempt for some constituents.

Marybeth Gardner said she stopped supporting DeLay a few years ago because, in her mind, he misrepresented his position in a letter to her about Social Security for teachers. She said the memory of that exchange makes it harder to believe the charges against him are false.

"The people of Sugar Land, we are a family-oriented, education-based, principled community," said Gardner, a retired teacher who said she voted for President Bush. "I see (DeLay) as the antithesis of that."

Lee Farb, a Democrat, said he's surprised that people around town don't talk much about DeLay's case, a sentiment echoed by several other locals.

"This is a very diverse community, but generally my impression is, Republicans like him and Democrats don't," Farb said. "It's really hard to know whether he's getting a fair shake. He deserves a fair shake. And if he did those things, he should not be serving any more."

Jason Embry writes for the Austin American-Statesman. E-mail: jembry AT statesman.com