Posted on 03/05/2014 5:24:02 AM PST by cotton1706
The first primary in what Republicans hope is a triumphant election year sent a message that U.S. Sen Ted Cruz and the tea party still wield considerable influence in one of the nation's most conservative states.
But to find out exactly how much, Texans will have to wait.
In a primary where an extraordinary number of statewide positions were up for grabs following Gov. Rick Perry's decision not to seek another term, some incumbent candidates successfully fought to beat back tea party challengers Tuesday. But several candidates who forced runoffs in May were either praised by the outspoken freshman senator, Cruz, or who ran with his no-compromising swagger.
"In Texas, we will show the rest of the country what it means to be conservative," said GOP state Sen. Dan Patrick, who forced longtime Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst into a runoff, less than two years after Cruz beat Dewhurst in the Senate primary.
The primary was the first since Cruz barreled into the U.S. Senate in 2012 and yanked Republicans nationwide further right, and many watched results within Texas to see how strong his influence would be on the state's next generation of Republican leaders. Amid the Republican contests, however, is Wendy Davis, a rising Democratic star who has energized the state's Democratic base and making a run for the governor's seat in November.
Davis, who catapulted to national political stardom last summer with a nearly 13-hour filibuster over abortion restrictions, vowed to topple two decades of GOP dominance in Texas. Though an underdog, she is the first female gubernatorial nominee in Texas since Ann Richards in 1994.
"I will be for all freedoms. Not just certain freedoms for certain people," Davis told supporters Tuesday night after formally securing the nomination, needling Republicans.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
I will vote for Cornrows opponent. Replacing a bad RAT is sometimes easier than killing RINOs.
And Cornyn was opposed by 41% of his own party, with opponents who were weak, inexperienced, and unfunded.
Texas primary voting results that tell it all:
Greg Abbott - Republican for governor - 1,333,000 votes
Wendy Davis - Democrat for governor - 432,000 votes
Republican voter turnout for primary - 10.3%
Democrat voter turnout for primary - 3.1%
Texas remains “Ruby Red” across the board!!! Ms. Davis has had her fifteen minutes of fame!!!
Not to mention loony (Stockman).
We’ll go to the May 27 run-off and vote for Patrick. In the fall, we’ll leave the Senate box blank because we won’t vote for the lying Cornyn. It won’t make any difference, but at least we won’t be a part of his charade as a “conservative.”
I do not take that from this result in TX. Stretching the truth.
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