Dave McNeely: Candidate isn’t his name’s namesake

When the relatively unknown Grady Yarbrough qualified for the Democratic primary runoff for the U.S. Senate to be held July 31, we said it had a lot to do with his last name.

It’s similar to that of the late progressive hero, U.S. Sen. Ralph Yarborough.

The runoff is with former state Rep. Paul Sadler of Henderson, who got 35.1 percent to Yarbrough’s 25.8 percent.

Two other candidates split the rest, forcing the runoff because no one got a majority.

Some speculate Yarbrough made the runoff because he is African-American. But we think it has more to do with borrowed name identification, partly because he also twice made runoffs years ago in two different Republican statewide primaries.

As for borrowed name identification, George W. Bush almost certainly would never have been elected Texas governor and then president if dad George Bush hadn’t been vice president and then president.

Warren G. Harding probably wouldn’t have been elected Dallas County treasurer and then state treasurer if he hadn’t had the same name as a former U.S. president.

John Connally probably was helped running for governor in 1962 because Tom Connally — no relation — had been a U.S. senator from Texas from 1929 until 1953.

A Sadler once held two different statewide offices, and ran unsuccessfully for a third: Jerry Sadler of Palestine.

He was elected to the Texas Railroad Commission in 1938; lost a challenge to incumbent Gov. W. Lee “Pappy” O’Daniel in 1940; and resigned the Railroad Commission in 1942, during World War II, to re-enter the Army.

In 1946, he ran a losing race for governor, and then was elected to the Texas House in 1954.

After three two-year terms, in 1960 he was elected Texas’ land commissioner.

Sadler was on Texas ballots every two years until 1970, when he was ousted by then-state Rep. Bob Armstrong of Austin. Armstrong spent 12 years as Land Commissioner.

Sadler ran for the railroad commission twice more, unsuccessfully. He announced for land commissioner again in 1981, but died before the election.

But the Yarborough name has more resonance with voters.

After losing a race for attorney general in 1938, Ralph Yarborough ran three times for governor in

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