In the worst of ways, Talmadge Heflin looked unbeatable: Endorsed by the Houston Chronicle, he'd logged seemingly as many years in the Texas House of Representatives as Palpatine had commanded the Galactic Empire, and the flab in his double chin was exceeded only by the corporate flab in his war chest. Democratic challenger Hubert Vo commanded a fraction of the funds -- and of the English language. Vo had been a refugee from Vietnam-turned-bootstrapping convenience store clerk; a busboy, phone book proofreader and machinist; and a scrappy small-business man-cum-Alief strip mall magnate -- but never a politician. No matter: As the Houston Press predicted, Vo won based on sheer hard work and a sense that Alief needed someone who was in touch with its evolving Asian community. He became the first Vietnamese-American elected to the Texas House, and he proved that democracy can still win in America, even in gerrymandered Texas.