Well-funded Radnofsky to battle perennial candidate Kelly

07:04 AM CST on Wednesday, March 8, 2006

By GROMER JEFFERS JR. / The Dallas Morning News

Despite a better-organized and well-financed campaign, Houston lawyer Barbara Ann Radnofsky faces a runoff against perennial candidate Gene Kelly for the Democratic nomination for Senate.

The winner will take on Republican incumbent Kay Bailey Hutchison in November.

"Regardless of whether there is a runoff or not, I feel fantastic," Ms. Radnofsky said Tuesday from her victory party in Houston. "We have a great group of people here and we've had a tremendous campaign."

That campaign, however, could not overcome two challengers who did little campaigning or fundraising.

Ms. Radnofsky, who has campaigned for more than a year, acknowledged that she decided to risk the possibility of a runoff rather than spend enough on a media campaign that analysts say would have all but wiped out her opponents. She has raised in excess of $800,000 for her campaign, spending more than $400,000 of that total.

"I took a calculated risk," Ms. Radnofsky said. "I didn't want to spend $700,000 on a media campaign and then go into the general election depleted."

Ms. Radnofsky, a 49-year-old lawyer and mediation specialist, is making her first run for office.

Mr. Kelly, 79, was the 2000 Democratic nominee for Senate who lost to Ms. Hutchison. He made few campaign appearances and did not accept contributions.

Even so, on Tuesday he danced away with enough votes to prolong the primary race. Also playing a role in that was Amarillo's Darrel Reece Hunter, 46, who ran on a platform that included allowing Mexico to become the 51st state and relocating the U.N. to Iraq. Yet he garnered significant support.

"It's the nature of the names, particularly with Gene Kelly," Ms. Radnofsky said. "At the initial stage of a campaign, you've got to overcome having a name like Radnofsky vs. a short and simple name."

It also doesn't hurt that the 2000 nominee shares a name with the late legendary screen hoofer.

Ms. Radnofsky said that's how he was able to beat former state legislator Charles Gandy in 2000 before being routed by Ms. Hutchison.

"I take name recognition very seriously," Ms. Radnofsky said.

Ms. Radnofsky is campaigning to bring Texans better health care, more benefits for veterans and less congested transit.

Even though she faces a runoff, Ms. Radnofsky said she still considers Ms. Hutchison her most important rival.

"I've got to keep my eye on the ball," she said.

E-mail gjeffers@dallasnews.com