Many parents welcomed the accountability system that the Houston district pioneered in the 1980's and early 1990's.

And, most dramatically, he helped nudge test scores steadily upward in the Houston district, which is largely black and Hispanic.

Because the west Houston district is heavily Republican, the winner will be considered a strong favorite in November.

It also found that the entire Houston district understated by more than half the number of its dropouts.

"The stumbling block was that the applicants aren't totally ready," said Ronald Parra, the director of the immigration service for Houston district.

The designer gerrymandering of the new Houston congressional district had functioned perfectly, and so had his demagogic shift toward the "vital center" of moderate conservatism.

But she also clearly has a driving political ambition that was evident as far back as 1972, when she was running for state legislator in a Houston district.

The building, along with its beacon, is a Houston landmark that identifies the Uptown Houston district.

In the same period, the Houston district itself has listed just 761 schoolhouse assaults on its annual disciplinary summaries sent to Austin.

The Houston district, the state's largest, can accommodate as many as 13,000 new students, Mr. Abbott said.