Our money’s on Perry as the victor in the March primary, if only for the anti-Washington sentiment swirling around the state. But he won’t emerge unscathed. As the primary takes its toll on his public image, doors open for the likely Democratic candidate, well-liked Houston Mayor Bill White, whose energy and planning initiatives, along with his economic management, have won him broad favor. By building a coalition of Hispanics, independents, and moderate Republicans from Texas’s growing, more Democrat-friendly urban centers, White will waltz into the governor’s mansion. But just barely.
Along with their prediction, they post the following video from PBS Houston:
Secondly, White received the endorsement of three House Democratic leaders today -- State Representatives Garnet Coleman, Jim Dumman, and Pete Gallego. The three issued the following joint-statement:
We are excited to partner with Bill White in his campaign to bring leadership to our state and meet Texas’ tough economic challenges. In Rick Perry’s decade of failure, our state’s budget has given away millions in special interest hand-outs when we should have been investing in sensible solutions that benefit everyday Texans. Texas needs leaders who put partisanship aside and let government work for the best interests of its people, and Bill White will do that as Governor.
Reps. Coleman, Dunnam, and Gallego released individual statements of support, as well. Each focused on economic issues -- an encouraging sign, to be sure. All three House Democrats have led the fight for public policy throughout the decade, and if they are coming out on White's behalf to challenge Perry on economic issues, then we should expect that -- at least at the top of the ticket -- we will have a true policy discussion on the economic challenges Perry has laid before the state.
