Issue date: 4/10/02 Section: Front Page

Bolstered by a larger-than-expected turnout in Williamson County, John Carter scored an upset in the District 31 Republican primary runoff Tuesday, soundly defeating Peter Wareing.

With all precincts reporting, Carter received 13,137 votes (57 percent) and Wareing got 9,961 votes (43 percent). Carter, a former state district judge in Williamson County, rallied supporters in the Austin suburbs to win four to one in his home county.

"The people looked at this race and decided they wanted someone who's lived and worked here to represent them," Carter said.

Wareing, a Houston businessman who moved to the district to run for Congress, spent more than a $1 million, according to campaign finance reports filed in March, while Carter spent $200,000.

"[Carter's] turnout in Williamson was incredible, it was just too big a hill to overcome," Wareing said.

Wareing also attributed his loss to Carter's advertisements attacking him for being a carpetbagger and closet liberal, citing Wareing's long history of contributing to Democrats. Wareing said he would support Carter in the general election against Democrat David Bagley.

Most of the Republican Party establishment in Brazos County, including GOP chairman David Kent and state Rep. Fred Brown, supported Wareing, but unlike the March 12 primary, voter turnout in Williamson surpassed turnout in Brazos. Brown said he was concerned that Brazos County might be at a disadvantage if represented by a congressman whose political base lies elsewhere in the district.

"We don't have a local representative," Brown said.

Williamson County cast 7,682 votes in the runoff, while Brazos County cast 6,838 votes.

Kent said the runoff's rancor would not hinder Brazos Republicans from uniting behind Carter and working with him once in Congress.

Carter said he had no hard feelings against Wareing or the Brazos County GOP leadership, and said he would work hard to represent the region in Congress.

"I'm very excited to be the congressman for Texas A&M," Carter said.

Wareing, who had said win or lose, he plans to buy a home and settle in Bryan, backed away from that pledge Tuesday.

"We're going to take some time off and then decide where to go from here," Wareing said.

In 2000, Wareing was defeated in the Republican primary for a Houston-based congressional seat, spending $4 million, much of it his own money.

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