Barbara Ann Radnofsky
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Barbara Ann Radnofsky (born July 8, 1956) was the Democratic nominee for the Texas U.S. Senate seat currently held by Kay Bailey Hutchison, in 2006. She is the first woman to have won the Democratic nomination for a U.S. Senate seat in Texas.
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[edit] Early life and career
Radnofsky was born in Broomall, Pennsylvania of Polish-Jewish[citation needed] origin. She grew up in Houston and entered the University of Houston at age 16 on a National Merit four-year academic scholarship. She received her B.A. in 1976, graduating magna cum laude. She then attended law school at the University of Texas School of Law, graduating with honors in 1979. Radnofsky has three children with her husband, Ed Supkis, a medical doctor.
Prior to entering politics, Radnofsky practiced law at Vinson & Elkins Law Firm in Houston for 27 years as a defense and trial lawyer. She retired as a partner and as head of the firm’s section on alternative dispute resolution in April 2006 to pursue her Senate campaign full time.
Radnofsky has also worked as a mediator and volunteer teacher, primarily through her involvement with the Upward Bound program, working with students with neurological disorders.
[edit] 2006 Senate campaign
Radnofsky announced her candidacy for the Senate on November 15, 2005, at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, at an event hosted by the SMU chapter of the College Democrats.
On March 7, 2006, Radnofsky faced Gene Kelly and Darrel Reece Hunter in the Democratic primary. Kelly is a perennial candidate and was the Democratic nominee in 2000 after beating out Charles Gandy in a runoff. Radnofsky received 44% of the vote in the primary, while Kelly received 37.5%. Kelly and Radnofsky were forced into a runoff election, held April 11, 2006, which Radnofsky won with 60% of the vote.
Radnofsky faces Republican incumbent Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in the 2006 General Election. The Zogby poll reported by The Wall Street Journal in September 2006 showed that Radnofsky closed the gap against Hutchison to less than nine points, revealing the race to be close and competitive. Hutchison sank to 45/47.8 percent, with Radnofsky rising to 39 percent. According to Zogby, Radnofsky had closed an 18-point gap from mid-August.
A Zogby poll released Oct. 16 showed Hutchison recovering back to 60% and Radnofsky dropping to 28%.[1]
On Oct. 19, Radnofsky sparred with Hutchison in a taped debate co-sponsored by the Texas League of Women Voters and PBS station KLRN. In the debate Radnofsky criticized Hutchison's position on the Iraq war and for not keeping her promise to serve only two terms.[2]
A poll released by Zogby on Oct. 31 showed Radnofsky gaining 7.9% up to 35.9% and Hutchison losing 5.2% down to 54.8%. Margin of error is 2.9% points.[3]
On November 7, Radnofsky was defeated soundly by Hutchison. However, many expect Radnofsky to run against the less popular Senator John Cornyn in 2008.
