Former congressman Nick Lampson told The Texas Signal he is “undecided” on whether he’s running for a seat in Congress he once held over a decade ago.
“As of right now, I am undecided,” Lampson, a Democrat, said of any potential bid for the 22nd congressional district outside of Houston. “My family isn’t enthused by the idea of another run. But I also recognize that the seniority I have would mean a guaranteed chairmanship and ranking member status on committees crucial to the growth of District 22. My calling in life has been public service, so it’s a decision I won’t take lightly.”
The district, once represented by the infamous Republican Tom Delay, includes southwest Houston suburbs and is home to more than 880,000 residents, many of whom are Hispanic and Asian.
On Twitter last week, Lampson dangled a possible run.
“I’ve received quite a bit of encouragement from former constituents of mine to run again. There are great candidates running, and I have a lot to consider.”
Rep. Pete Olson, an anti-LGBT Republican who holds the seat now, recently announced he’s retiring. (One translation: he knows he can’t win again.)
National Democrats have identified the seat as winnable.
“[T]here’s a very real chance that District 22 will flip [back to Democrats] once again,” Lampson wrote on Twitter. “The hyper partisanship and incivility that run rampant in politics today threatens the very fabric of our democracy.”
Democrats who have announced they’re running for District 22 include attorney Nyanza Moore, Pearland city council member Derrick Reed, and former diplomat Sri Kulkarni.
