Wendy Davis running for Governor of Texas; is Democrats' best hope, but still an underdog

[maxomai]

Al Jazeera America has the story:

Wendy Davis, the Texas state senator famous for staging a filibuster against sweeping abortion restrictions, announced Thursday that she will run for governor of the state.

"Texas is a place where we aim high and we take big risks," Davis told hundreds of cheering supporters at a rally outside Fort Worth. "We're builders, and doers, leaders, and dreamers. We love Texas, not only for how good it is, but for how great we know it can be."

There's a lot of enthusiasm for her campaign, due in no small part to her filibuster of an odious and stupid anti-abortion law. That same filibuster also generated a fair amount of campaign cash, to the tune of $1 million. It's almost certain that she'll win the Democratic primary.

And then, she'll be the underdog against the most likely GOP candidate, Gregg Abbot.

Texas Lyceum, Sept 6-20 (pdf)
Abbot 29
Davis 21
Don't know/NA 50
N=798 registered voters, MOE=3.47

Public Policy Polling, June 28-July 1 (pdf)
Abbot 48
Davis 40
Not sure 12
N=500, MOE=4.4

The numbers here aren't impossible for Davis. The election is thirteen months away, she's only down eight points, and she has plenty of time to make up the difference. But it's going to be a really tough fight.

Comments

[arkham4269.livejournal.com]

The gov't shutdown may not engender the GOP to the electorate.

Maybe not

[maxomai.livejournal.com]

But Texas has a whole fuckton more Republicans than Democrats, and those Republicans like what the Tea Party is doing.