Mar. 3, Feature - Another interesting local race will take place in Texas. This particular race is could determine if local Texas politics are about to change.

Meet Dawnna Dukes, State House Representative of district 46 in East Austin, Dukes' been in office since 1995.

"Hi I'm State Representative, Dawnna Dukes - vote for a true Democrat, re-elect Dawnna Dukes"

Meet Brian Thompson, her opponent.

"Republican funded Dawnna Dukes has betrayed your trust - stop the betrayal, vote democrat Brian Thompson -a vote for change"

He's a lawyer and moved to the district in 2006. Even though he's raised a fraction of the cash that Dukes has and his name recognition is low, Thomson say he's running in this heavily democratic district, because Dawnna Dukes is too closely tied to Tom Craddick, the speaker of the Texas house of representatives. Craddick is the first republican speaker in 130 years. As speaker, Craddick determines the legislative calendar, what bills will be voted on and who will chair legislative committees. Critics charge he has used his role as speaker to push his own conservative agenda, and the agenda of lobbyists who finance his campaigns.

Craddick has the support of representatives from both parties including Dawnna Dukes, Her opponent Brian Thompson says progressive constituents in east Austin may not be aware of how she has voted in this internal house election in the past. Paul Stekler, of the LBJ School of Public Policy at the University of Texas talks about why Dukes stands by the speaker, even as he pushed votes on her that were not in the interest of her democratic constituents.

"It gives her clout with the speaker, and she has evidence of legislation she was associated with, to be able to get perks for their constituents, become chairmen or vice chairmen things like that."

In addition, Dukes is popular in the district, and the message of Thompson and his supporters is tough to campaign on and educate voters about. Paul Stekler.

"What you're asking the voters to do something very complex which is not to vote democrat or republican, but to figure out whose voting record may have very little do to with who they're allied with in the legislature."

And what those alliances have to do with them, anyway.

So, does Thompson, with no record in politics and little money or name recognition stand a chance of defeating Dawnna Dukes and help change the leadership in the house, therefore the direction of the state?

This primary season has brought about talk of change, and anything could happen.

For Pacifica Radio's Election Unspun in Austin, this is Ann Raber