Wendy Davis Breezes Past Democratic Primaries In Texas Governor Race

Texas Democratic State Senator Wendy Davis easily wins the Democratic primary for Texas Governor today, as did Greg Abbott, Texas Attorney General, a Republican. Davis represents Fort Worth in the Texas Senate will represent the Democrats for the first time since 1994, the last year former Governor Ann Richards held seat. The only other Democrat on the ballot was unknown Reynaldo Madrigal.

Wendy Davis rose to stardom in the summer of 2013 when on June 25 she stood for a 13 hour filibuster against Senate Bill 5, which further restricts abortion regulations in Texas. Her filibuster garnered nationwide attention and quickly thrust her into the spotlight for Texas’ Governor’s race for 2014. Davis’ fundraising outpaced that of Abbott, her competition for the Governor’s race in November as current Governor Rick Perry steps aside. Even with accelerated fundraising, Davis is still seen as an underdog in the far right leaning state.

Ms. Davis, who is seen as a firecracker politician from the trailer park only to graduate Harvard Law, acknowledges that the road ahead is steep. Abbott, who employs a wheelchair, has a compelling ‘rags to riches’ type story. Her spirits are high, and her motivation undeterred. Davis says of her own campaign this week, “I can see and feel, every day on the campaign trail, an energy in this state around my campaign that’s hard to describe. It’s not like anything I’ve seen in Democratic politics in the last couple of decades.”

Positive thinking is exactly what Davis may need to push through her campaign. During the Texas Primaries, one of her supporters, Battleground Texas, were accused of election law violations. An official of the liberal organization was recorded on camera virtually admitting to copying phone numbers from voter registration forms which is a form of data mining and against election law.

Another hurdle Wendy Davis has to overcome is the new notion that she is not as much a feminist as advertised. Recent news reports uncovered that Davis’ biography had some blurred lines. Items such as being divorced at 21 and not 19 and only living a few months in the family trailer home while separated from her husband are some of the smaller inconsistencies. Larger issues include accusations of Davis divorcing her husband after having her schooling paid for and giving up custody of her children to focus on her career.

The road to candidacy has been a breeze for Wendy Davis up to this point, whether her momentum continues remains to be seen.