Wendy Davis, Texas Senator, To Run For Governor

Wendy Davis, the Texas Democrat who raised eyebrows earlier this year with an 11-hour filibuster of an abortion bill that garnered her thousands of supporters, announced on Thursday that she’ll ...
Wendy Davis, Texas Senator, To Run For Governor
Written by Amanda Crum

Wendy Davis, the Texas Democrat who raised eyebrows earlier this year with an 11-hour filibuster of an abortion bill that garnered her thousands of supporters, announced on Thursday that she’ll be running for governor.

Davis says her focus will be education and job creation, and while those things aren’t unique to any politician, Davis has the power of that filibuster on her side. In one day, she went from being a member of the minority party to being the voice of the women who didn’t want to see nearly every abortion clinic in the state closed. Although the restrictions were later passed anyway, what lies on her side is the fact that people stopped to listen.

On Thursday, Davis addressed a group in Texas and emphasized her mission and goals, saying, “We’re here because we want every child, no matter where they start in Texas, to receive a world-class education — an education that can take them anywhere they want to go, so that success and opportunity is within reach of every single Texan and no one in this great state is ever forced to dream smaller instead of bigger.”

Experts say Davis will have an “uphill battle” during her run, as a Democrat hasn’t been elected as Texas Governor in nearly 24 years. Also, she needs to jump on the fundraising, as she’ll need upwards of $35 million to be a serious contender. As of this June, she had raised around $1 million.

Stephanie Schriock, president of the Democratic political action committee EMILY’s List, estimates anyone seriously seeking the Texas governorship would have to raise between $35 million and $40 million.

“If she decides to run, I really do believe Wendy will have the resources she needs to run a winning campaign,” Stephanie Schriock of EMILY’s List said. “We are excited and ready to go.”

Image screenshot via The Washington Post

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