Nation's 1st primary in Texas as GOP pushes right
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Republicans picked the state's attorney general in the fight to succeed longtime Gov. Rick Perry, while a rising Democratic star coasted to her party's nomination Tuesday night during the nation's first statewide primary.
Warnings about Democrat Wendy Davis' star-making run for Texas governor threatening two decades of Republican dominance dealt complacent conservatives a new reason to vote. So did a rare opportunity to select an entirely new stable of leaders after 14 years under Perry.
Perry's decision to not seek re-election launched a stampede of 26 Republican candidates vying for six of Texas' top offices. Among them was George P. Bush, the 37-year-old nephew of former President George W. Bush and son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who easily won the nomination for land commissioner in his political debut.
In the first primary since Ted Cruz barreled into the U.S. Senate in 2012 and yanked Republicans nationwide further right, Texas candidates willingly went along. U.S. Sen John Cornyn, who didn't get an endorsement from his fellow Texas senator, routed his primary challenger.
"I say they are not going far right enough," said Marlin Robinson, 56, after casting his primary ballot in Houston. "They need to go further right, as far as I'm concerned because I'm tired of this liberal crap that's running this country."
Attorney General Greg Abbott clinched the Republican nomination for governor and Davis locked up her party's selection, thereby making official a showdown poised to become a record-shattering arm's race of fundraising in a Texas gubernatorial election.
In another sign of a rightward drift, state Sen. Dan Patrick, who drew heat from even fellow Republicans for bemoaning an "invasion" of immigrants coming across the Texas-Mexico border, appeared headed for a runoff in the lieutenant governor's race with longtime incumbent David Dewhurst.
Democrats set on breaking the nation's longest losing streak in races for statewide office, meanwhile, hoped a charismatic headliner in Davis would turn out long-dormant voters.
Davis, who catapulting to national political stardom last summer with a nearly 13-hour filibuster over abortion restrictions, is the first female gubernatorial nominee in Texas since Ann Richards in 1994.
Her underdog campaign has raised $16 million so far behind a whopping 91,000 individual donors and big checks from abortion-rights groups.
