West's race open to debate

With medical concerns and his own words putting State Rep. Buddy West’s political future in question, a pack of candidates could emerge and create the kind of heated election the Permian Basin hasn’t seen since West took office.

West has been an Austin stalwart since 1993 and rarely faced substantial re-election opposition in March Republican primaries or November elections.

With a kidney disease treatment looming, he told his Austin cohorts Sunday during an impassioned speech that he may not return to the state Capitol.

West will serve the remainder of this term, he said, but he won’t make a definite decision about his career until either the state’s December campaign filing deadline or when his physician recommends he retire.

“I love representing West Texas,” said West, who was receiving medical attention Wednesday in Austin. “That’s all I’ve ever known.”

And for 14 years, West is all the 81st District’s voters have known to be in office.

“You have to respect someone that can stand that type of heat for that long,” said Jason Moore, the State Republican Executive Committee Senate District 31 representative. “There is a lot of pressure in that powder keg that is Austin.”

With a Republican standard potentially leaving his post representing Ector, Andrews and Wink counties, it clears the 2008 representative race to a bevy of interested parties.

“It throws it wide open to Republicans who have looked at higher offices,” Moore said.

Moore ran against West in 2004 but said he wasn’t interested in running for the House seat’s new term, citing family responsibilities.

Ector County Independent School District board president Randy Rives said he has been preparing a possible Republican campaign since hearing speculation of West’s retirement a month ago. He has no intentions of announcing a campaign this early however.

“This time right now is Buddy’s time,” he said.

On the Democratic side, former Permian head football coach and county Democrat party leader John Wilkins said he has no current plans to enter the race, but he will consider it before the state filing deadline.

A West retirement would affect Wilkins’ decision.

“Buddy has been in office a long time,” Wilkins said. “Incumbents are hard to beat. Buddy has done a respectable job and represents his constituents the best that he can.”

Even if Buddy West retires, that doesn’t guarantee a West wouldn’t be on the 2008 ballot.

His wife, Shirley, is considering running if her husband is unable to, taking up his issues such as continued funding to UTPB.

“We just decided I can run, and we can accomplish that in the next couple years,” Shirley West said.

Shirley West’s possible campaign already has the incumbent’s support.

“She knows probably more that goes on down here than any other individual in Odessa,” Buddy West said.

Kirk Edwards, an Odessa political, developmental and business leader, has shown previous state office interest, running for the state Senate District 31 seat. However, he has no interest in running for West’s seat, if it opens, he said.

“Most importantly, my business has grown quite dramatically over the last three years,” Edwards said. “The responsibility that has come with that will keep me from attempting to run for the legislature’s seat, if it should come about.”

Edwards also has no intention of vacating his board of directors’ seat with the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas’ El Paso Branch in order to hold public office.

Edwards complimented West for his political leadership for the natural resources industry and his support of UTPB’s growth.

The Odessan put his concerns with West’s family instead of political positioning.

“The politics takes care of itself,” Edwards said. “We need to think about his family and him first and foremost.”