Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay will attempt to clear the first hurdle standing in the way of his re-election bid for the U.S. Congress. Today, DeLay will face a primary where he will need to get more than 50% of the vote in order to avoid an April 11, 2006 run-off against the next highest vote getter.

DeLay must win more than 50 percent of the vote to avoid an April 11 run-off against the next highest vote-getter. Winning only narrowly or being forced into a run-off would signal DeLay’s political weakness among Republicans as he heads toward November.

Tom Campbell, a former general counsel for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, who is said to have raised the most money so far in the primary race said…

“Mr. DeLay is unelectable at this time. “This district is hard-wired to elect a Republican, but not a Republican with the ethical baggage that Mr. DeLay has.”

Waiting in the wings is former Congressman Nick Lampson, the Democrat who is patiently waiting to see if DeLay makes it out of this primary intact or if he will face a different Republican in the race for Texas 22nd.

Either way, DoubleSpeak has sat down with Nick Lampson and we feel he is ready to beat any Republican, even in a Republican district. In our interview, Nick Lampson talks about Tom DeLay and makes a great pitch as to why he should be the next Congressman from Sugarland, Texas.

Please have a listen to Episode 2, featuring Nick Lamson, as well as Duncan “Atrios” Black, editor of Eschaton.