Texas Governors' Race Goes National as Parties Eye Long-Term Gains

WASHINGTON, Sept. 29, 2010— -- Democrats are eyeing the opportunity to recapture the Texas governor's seat for the first time in 15 years, in a race that could have an impact on national elections for years to come as the state prepares to draw up new congressional district lines.

Former Houston mayor and lawyer Bill White is in a surprisingly close race with GOP incumbent Rick Perry, running for a third term. Among likely voters, Perry was leading White by 46 percent to 39 percent, with 8 percent undecided, in the most recent poll by the Dallas Morning News, conducted Sept. 15-22.

White has consistently trailed Perry since the incumbent won the Republican primary against Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. Most Texas politicos are still hedging their bets on Perry, albeit after a tough election fight. But Democrats still have a shot if they can elevate grassroots momentum in the last few weeks of the campaign, especially among Hispanics.

"Perry doesn't have the magic 50 percent" that should give him a comfortable advantage, said pollster Mickey Blum. "This is that one time that it's close enough where it will matter if people can get their voters out."

The national interest in White's campaign makes the race unlike any other in recent Texas history. White is the top recipient of in-state and out-of-state donations among all Texas candidates, according to data collected by the Center for Responsive Politics.

The Texas money game is not just about the governor's race. In fact, the national interest in Texas goes well beyond the 2010 races.

As Democratic Governors Association executive director Nathan Daschle wrote in a memo outlining the group's strategy, "The most important battles will be for the states that have relevance in congressional redistricting, implications for the 2012 presidential election and the sheer size of their population."

Texas, the second largest state in the country, is expected to gain four House seats -- the most of any state -- according to private firm Election Data Services, which analyzed Census Bureau population estimates.

The DGA has poured $2 million into White's campaign, the most ever for a Texas gubernatorial candidate.

"This is a pretty key pick-up opportunity in 2010 for us. We consider the Texas governor's race one of our top tier opportunities," said DGA communications director Emily Bittner.

Perry "is a 25-year career politician and people are quite frankly getting fed up with him. He works part-time in a taxpayer-funded luxury mansion," she said.

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