Pete Gallego considers Ciro Rodriguez a good friend. The two Texas Democrats have known each other for more than 20 years and spent three terms serving together as committee chairs in the state House of Representatives. In fact, Gallego hints that he might have attempted a leap from the Lege to Congress a few years ago if not for the fact that his old colleague was the incumbent in Gallego’s congressional district.

This year, after 11 terms in the Texas House, the 49-year-old native of the small West Texas town of Alpine is finally making that leap. But in order to win the Democratic nomination – and earn the right to take on U.S. District 23 Rep. Francisco “Quico” Canseco next November – Gallego must first dispose of Rodriguez. While the race is just beginning to take shape, we already know this much: If fundraising dollars were directly proportional to votes, this primary contest would have been stopped this week on account of the mercy rule.

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