A former state House member from Houston who knocked off an incumbent state rep by 10 votes in the March 2 primary has been accused of violating state election laws in wording his campaign signs.

The signs posted by Borris Miles, who beat state Rep. Al Edwards by a razor-thin margin in the Democratic primary for state House District 146, are the subject of a complaint to the state Ethics Commission. A local watchdog group says Miles' campaign signs asked voters to reelect him when even though Miles did not hold incumbent status.

“He slapped those signs, asking voters to reelect him, all around the district,” said Justin Jordan, executive director of the group Texans for Ethics and Responsibility. “And the statute states you have to be a current office holder to do that.”

Jordon has also been active in Republican politics in Texas.

See the complaint filed by TEA here.

Miles and Edwards have been locked in a tug-of-war over the House seat for years now. Back in 2006, Edwards was the incumbent when Miles beat him. In 2008, Edwards took the seat back from Miles. And this year, the race was as tight as expected and even wackier than predicted -- the rivalry even got some national attention when Miles, responding to Edwards' challenge, urinated for a drug test during a radio broadcast. Edwards has asked for a recount (of the votes, not the drug test).

“Our team is in the process of investigating the allegation and ... we will handle everything legally and make sure all political procedures were followed correctly,” said Jeri Brooks, a Miles spokeswoman.