Wednesday, November 5, 2014

New Republican Governor of Texas Greg Abbott received 44% of Hispanic vote. Democrat opponent Davis fell short among women and Hispanics-Dallas News

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Politico Election Results, Texas Gov., 59.3% to 38.9%, Abbott over Davis (click on state)

11/5/14, "Greg Abbott tops Wendy Davis in Texas governor’s race," Dallas News, Christy Hoppe, Austin

"Greg Abbott rode into the governor’s office Tuesday on a red tide of Republican dominance that swept an entire slate of new GOP leaders into every state post.

In a bruising defeat of Wendy Davis, Abbott led early and big and drowned Democrats’ hopes of resurgence after almost two decades in the political wilderness....

Even with the (Democrat) party-building efforts of Battleground Texas, Davis, a 51-year-old Fort Worth state senator, failed to push Democratic numbers into competitive territory.

Exit polls show that Davis’ outreach to women and Hispanics fell short. While 47 percent of female voters supported her — better than Democrat Bill White did four years ago against Perry — she fared worse among the traditional Democratic constituency of Latinos.

Part of it might have been her rise to fame on the abortion issue, one that doesn’t play well among Hispanics. But Abbott made a strong play for Hispanic support. He flooded the airwaves with an ad featuring his Hispanic mother-in-law, made almost 20 campaign stops in South Texas, and boasted that his wife, Cecilia, would be the first Latina to serve as first lady of Texas.

According to polls, Abbott made his mark, winning 44 percent of the Hispanic vote.

His rise to the governorship came from a well-executed, virtually mistake-free campaign. But it took root years ago in unexpected calamity.

As a 26-year-old aspiring lawyer, Abbott went for a jog after a storm in Houston’s River Oaks neighborhood and was struck by a falling oak tree. The accident led to months of painful rehabilitation and life as a paraplegic. But it also prompted him to immerse himself in books about politics.

Abbott overcame the obstacles, inspired by his mother’s credo: Never say I can’t.

He began in public office as a Houston state district judge in 1992 before being appointed to the Texas Supreme Court by then-Gov. George W. Bush in 1995. He won the attorney general’s post in 2002.

“I am living proof that we live in a state where a young man’s life can literally be broken in half and yet he can still rise up and be governor of this great state,” Abbott said Tuesday night.

As governor, I will ensure Texas remains the state that provides that brand of opportunity for every Texan.”"



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