Wendy Davis, the pro-abortion Texas State Senator, is going to run for governor. Robert Miller, a lobbyist, has heard about the decision, and posted about it yesterday:
Credible sources tell me that Sen. Wendy Davis will run for Governor in 2014 and not seek reelection to Texas Senate District 10. It will set up a high stakes match-up with Attorney General Greg Abbott in the November 4, 2014, general election.
Sen. Davis believes that she faces a tough race regardless of whether she seeks reelection to the Senate or runs for Governor. In 2010, Gov. Rick Perry received 52.7% of the vote in SD 10 compared to 44.6% for Mayor Bill White. In 2012, Gov. Romney defeated President Obama in SD 10 53.3% to 45.4%.
Sen. Davis has been elected twice in SD 10, so it clearly is a winnable race — but tough. Sen. Davis is now a national figure for Texas Democrats, and a senate reelection run would draw in national money both for and against her. If she is going to have a tough nationalized race, she would prefer it be for Governor.
The last point is true. In 2012, Davis only won re-election in her senate district by 51% – with Obama on the ballot. Numbers wise, it was a little over 6,000 votes – and her Republican challenger ran an “abysmal” campaign. She should expect a different campaign, especially with pro-lifers waiting to go in for the kill. Katie Pavlich at Townhall noted that her position on abortion isn’t popular outside the liberal fortifications that are Austin’s suburbs.
So can she win? Not likely. Despite Davis repeatedly stating Texas women agree with her on the issue of “women’s health,” a majority of women in the Lone Star State and throughout the country approve of a ban on abortions after five months of pregnancy, something Davis has risen to fame for opposing.
Ed Morrissey also wrote that Democrats will have to “nationalize” the race to raise money for Davis since she’s on the extreme left concerning abortion – and filibustered a law that’s supported by 62% of Texans. Then again, 60% of American women support restrictions on late-term abortion, specifically 20-week bans. If Republicans can produce a good ad campaign highlighting Davis’ insane position on abortion, the outside money won’t be coming in to fill her coffers. Alas, in comes Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and other pro-abortion groups that will probably flood her with cash. Now, that’s a classy way to run a campaign – a political machine oiled with the blood of children. In fact, only the abortion industry could foot her bill, as the Democrats will probably be trying to use their resources to defend their majority in the U.S. Senate. A task made even more onerous by the fact that they have no heavyweight candidates in any of their races.
Morrissey added that:
If nothing else, a big donor response could force the GOP to spend its own national resources in Texas to bolster Abbott and deny them the ability to shift those funds into other races. That still seems unlikely to happen, though, even with the opportunity Davis’ 15 minutes of fame provides. Democrats will be spending most of their effort into salvaging enough red-state seats in the US Senate to deny Republicans a majority. The Texas gubernatorial race will be an expensive luxury for Democrats in 2014, no matter how attractive they believe a Davis candidacy might be to their deep-pocket donors outside of Texas.
Davis might well run for the top spot, and Democrats might be wooing her with promises of big support from donors, but in the end Davis will have to do most of the work herself in Texas — and attempting to block a bill supported by 62% of Texas voters won’t win her many more votes in the end than Bill White got the last time around.
How have Democrats faired in statewide elections since Gov. Ann Richards in the 1990s? Miller noted that:
The last Democrat to be elected Texas Governor was Ann Richards in 1990. Since then, the Democratic nominee has received the following percentage of the vote: 1994 – Richards 45.7%; 1998 – Mauro 31.2%; 2002 – Sanchez 40%; 2006 – Bell 29.8%; 2010 – White 42.3%. Public Policy Polling released a poll July 2, 2013, showing General Abbott leading Sen. Davis 48% to 40%, and the same poll had Gov. Perry leading Sen. Davis 53% to 39%. Texas is still a deeply red state, and running for Governor as a Democrat in Texas is a steep uphill climb.
However, the other angle that won’t be explored by the media is that Davis is the sacrificial lamb – or she could be that politically stupid. She’s a catalyst to get the young, single women out in the 2014 midterms. Democrats know they’ll lose in Texas, but they’ll get the Sandra Flukes of America to donate, canvass, and vote for their people. Yeah, that surely captures the camaraderie of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants – on crack.
Davis will be the DNC’s “abortion barbie,” raise a boatload from the die-hard pro-aborts, then they’ll dump her on the side of the road after November. She’ll have a tough time mounting a political comeback, if any, in the near future since her state senate seat is gone, and Julian Castro is set to dominate the scene in Texas. She’s either a political pawn, or again – she’s just a moron.
One factor that hasn’t changed in all of this is that Texas’ Attorney General, and presumptive Republican gubernatorial nominee, Greg Abbott has $18-22 million in the war chest. Davis has some serious fundraising to do.
At the same time, while the name of a reliable source telling us about Davis’ doomed gubernatorial run is good to know– the information could be completely wrong.
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