Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White was in San Antonio today, stopping by the Fourth of July celebration at Woodlawn Lake. White had hoped to speak but the Parks Foundation apparently was unable to accommodate the request. Regardless, White spent time meeting with supporters and enjoying the family atmosphere at the park. White has been crossing the state, taking every opportunity he can to meet voters and get his message out before the November election. White is in a tie with Governor Rick Perry at 43% a piece according to a recent poll by Public Policy Polling. With the race so tight you would expect White and Perry to be squaring off mano a mano. But apparently Perry continues to be a no show. Read more…
Last night Texas finished the first part of its primary process and answered the question of whether Gov. Rick Perry would be facing Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in a run-off. The biggest factor in that equation was how much effect Debra Medina would have on the race. Well, Texas Republicans (and a few Democrats) answered that question for us. With 51% of the vote Perry dodged a run-off and now matches up with former Houston Mayor Bill White in November. Personally I have to feel a little pride in that I predicted 53%. 2 points off is not bad in my book. So did we learn a little more about Texas politics after the votes were counted? Read more…
On Tuesday we come into the home stretch of what has been an interesting primary season in Texas. What typically is a sort of anointing of a chosen candidate at least turned into a horse race on the Republican side between Gov. Rick Perry, Sen. Kay Baily Hutchison, and Debra Medina. Hutchison made it competitive when she hinted at running as far back as mid 2009 that she was serious about running for governor. Starting with a strong war chest and leading in the polls, it seemed like hers to lose. Those turned out to be famous last words. Now with only two days until the primary election she appears to have done a good job of losing it. Read more…
Sunday I examined the Texas governor’s primaries on both the Republican and Democratic side. Based on the latest polls and some very bizarre episodes about 9/11 it is becoming pretty apparent we will have a Rick Perry/Bill White showdown for the general election in November. While Perry is not completely out of the woods just yet and could face a run-off against Kay Bailey Hutchison I really don’t see that happening based on Debra Medina’s meltdown on the Glenn Beck show this past week. But what will happen after the primaries? Who will prevail in November? Read more…
We’ve all heard the phrase about Texas weather, “if you don’t like it now, just wait a little bit and it’ll change.” This primary season the same can be said about Texas politics. What usually is a pretty bland part of the Texas election cycle has been anything but this year. Starting with the governor’s race on the Republican side and continuing into the same race on the Democratic side we’ve had nothing but fun during the period leading up to early voting starting this Tuesday, Feb. 16th. So with all the fun how is this primary really shaping out?
Read more…
This is the second in a series of posts about the 2010 Texas elections that started with a look at the Democrats. In this posting I dig into the Republican side of the Texas gubernatorial ticket which is pitting incumbent Gov. Rick Perry against Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and conservative Debra Medina. It’s becoming a battle to see who can claim the title of “most conservative” of the trio and, at times, is becoming a little comical. However, there are serious issues to consider when looking at this field, mostly around a commitment of service to Texans or a desire to grandstand against the Obama administration. Of late, it appears the later goal is more important; something that could backfire in the general election in November. So let’s take a look at the Republicans vying for the governor’s seat. Read more…
As we close out 2009 and get ready to enter the 2010 state election cycle I thought it would be good to provide my readers with my perspective of some of the statewide races starting with the governor’s race, one that will most likely provide fireworks even as far back as the primaries. This will turn into a series of postings covering the various facets of the race – the Democrats, the Republicans, the Primary, the General Election, and the Spoilers. I’d do it in a single entry but each facet is becoming larger than I expected. From there I hope to dig into the rest of the election cycle, looking at down ballot races such as the Lieutenant Governor’s race and other statewide elections. For some that follow politics it will seem repetitive. For those who casually follow the series should provide a good understanding to get up to speed as we enter 2010. I encourage commentary to help expand perspective on each facet. This will make the series that much more engaging. So let’s get started. Read more…
Recent Comments