Grady Yarbrough, Democrat, ran twice statewide as Republican

Speaking to a group at last week’s Texas Democratic Party convention in Houston, former state Rep. Paul Sadler said his opponent for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination has experience — as a Republican.

Sadler told the Hispanic Caucus: “I’m running against a gentleman from San Antonio that ran as a Republican statewide twice.”

Sure enough, the candidate, retired schoolteacher Grady Yarbrough, told us in a telephone interview. In 1986 and 1990, he sought the GOP nod for state land commissioner, he said, before breaking off with the party. He then tried for the 1994 Democratic nomination for state treasurer.

We rated Sadler’s claim as True (item posted to right).

Sadler and Yarbrough, who did not attend the Democratic convention, face off in a July 31 runoff for the opportunity to run against either Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst or Ted Cruz, the state’s former solicitor general, in November. Those two are battling for the Republican Senate nomination. The ultimate November winner will succeed Kay Bailey Hutchison, who has been a senator since 1993.