DeLay Says He’s Now an Ex-Texan

Former Majority Leader Tom DeLay said Tuesday that he is taking the necessary steps to remove his name from the November ballot in Texas, giving the Republican Party a chance to field a write-in candidate in hopes of holding his seat in the House of Representatives.

Buffeted by scandal, DeLay said his resignation on June 9 from Congress was “irrevocable” and maintained that he is no longer a Texan.

“As a Virginia resident, I will take the actions necessary to remove my name from the Texas ballot. To do anything else would be hypocrisy,” DeLay said in a statement.

DeLay was forced to act after Republicans lost several court fights to remove his name from the ballot in the Houston-area district and replace him with a GOP-chosen nominee. Republicans ended their legal battles Monday when Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia refused to hear their case, letting the appeals court decision stand that DeLay’s name was to remain on the ballot.

DeLay, who won the March primary in Texas, criticized the courts’ decisions as he encouraged the Republican Party to “take any and all actions necessary to give Texas voters an up-or-down choice this fall between two major party candidates.”

He said the courts’ decisions in the Texas case conflicted with legal rulings in 2002, when Democrats were allowed to replace then-U.S. Sen. Robert Torricelli of New Jersey with former Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg on the November ballot weeks before the election. Torricelli abandoned the race amid ethics allegations.

“Voters should be concerned,” DeLay said.

David G. Wallace, mayor of DeLay’s hometown of Sugar Land, is the expected choice for the Republicans’ write-in campaign. He has name recognition and money-raising ability -- he had more than $157,000 cash on hand as of June 30 -- that party officials need to take on former Rep. Nick Lampson, the Democratic nominee.

Lampson had amassed more than $2 million in his campaign treasury as of June 30 in preparation for a race against DeLay.

A write-in must declare candidacy and pay a fee or submit required signatures by Aug. 29.

DeLay faces money laundering charges in Texas relating to legislative campaigns in 2002. DeLay also has close ties to Jack Abramoff, the lobbyist at the center of a congressional corruption investigation. Two former DeLay aides who later worked with Abramoff have pleaded guilty in the investigation.