Upon the retirement of Jack Fields, who represented the Texas Congressional District 8, Brady decided to run for the open seat. Brady did not receive 50% of the vote in the initial 1996 Republican primary, so he had to compete in a runoff against, Dr. Gene Fontenot. Brady won the runoff with a 53%–47% margin. | Upon the retirement of Jack Fields, who represented the Texas Congressional District 8, Brady decided to run for the open seat. Brady did not receive 50% of the vote in the initial 1996 Republican primary, so he had to compete in a runoff against, Dr. Gene Fontenot. Brady won the runoff with a 53%–47% margin. |