Posted on 10/08/2002 5:20:49 PM PDT by Bubba_Leroy
HOUSTON (Reuters) - Texas Democrats' hope of riding the Hispanic vote to victory in the November election took a hit on Tuesday when one of the party's top Hispanics endorsed Republican incumbent Rick Perry for governor.
Former Texas Attorney General Dan Morales said he supported Perry because his Democratic challenger, wealthy businessman Tony Sanchez, lacked the experience and ethics required to lead the nation's second largest state.
"I'm a Democrat, but I'm first and foremost a Texan," Morales, who lost the race for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination to Sanchez, told cheering Perry supporters at the governor's Houston campaign headquarters. "I'm asking every Texan to put aside party politics ... and vote for the best man for the job."
Sanchez' heritage and personal fortune are central to a Democratic strategy of winning enough minority votes to oust Republicans from power in Texas. The GOP currently holds every statewide office.
At stake along with the governorship is a U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Republican Phil Gramm. A win by the Democrats would help the party keep control of the Senate and give President Bush an embarrassing defeat in his home state.
Morales was soundly defeated this spring by Sanchez, a Laredo oilman and banker and a political novice who would be the first Hispanic governor in modern Texas.
ACT OF CONSCIENCE
He said his support for Perry was not an act of revenge, but of conscience. He accused Sanchez of questionable dealings in his oil and banking businesses and said his only qualification for being governor was his "big bank account."
"The office of governor of Texas should not be auctioned off to the highest bidder," Morales said.
According to campaign finance figures released this week, Sanchez has spent $53 million of his own money.
Combined, he and Perry have spent almost $74 million, a state record.
Morales, who does not plan to seek public office again, said he could not support Sanchez solely because he was a fellow Hispanic.
"It's not enough simply to be Hispanic. There's no doubt Gov. Rick Perry is the most qualified candidate," he said in Spanish.
Perry, a former state legislator and lieutenant governor who succeeded Bush when he won the presidency, said Morales' endorsement "speaks volumes about the fact that I have worked across party lines to build a better Texas."
A Sanchez spokesman downplayed the endorsement, calling Morales "irrelevant" to the race.
Democrats are banking on Sanchez to draw enough Hispanic voters to help the party's other candidates, including former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk, a black moderate in a close race with state Attorney General John Cornyn for Gramm's senate seat.
Recent polls showed Perry leading Sanchez by nine percentage points and Cornyn leading Kirk by six.
Democrats believe a large black turnout for Kirk will also help Sanchez.
I'd say you're right. Sanchez has done nothing to counter the "crook" image that Perry has succesfully painted on him. This "we didn't elect him, we don't have to keep him" mantra that Sanchez uses against Perry is juvenile.
"Fat Tony" will pis* away $60 million on a failed campaign.
Rick Perry is not a shooting star like Bush, but he's not afraid to take a stand against powerful interests, as he's doing with Farmer's Insurance right now.
He's a good man, and I'm hoping he appears with John Cornyn more. These two are good for Texas!
The poll was conducted from Sept. 30 through Oct. 6 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1%.
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State |
North Texas | East Texas | South Texas | Central Texas | West Texas | |
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Democrat Tony Sanchez, Jr. | 29% | 31% | 28% | 32% | 26% | 15% |
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Republican Rick Perry | 56% | 52% | 59% | 50% | 56% | 70% |
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Undecided | 15% | 16% | 13% | 18% | 18% | 12% |
No Texan has spent this much to run, ever
Sanchez has shelled out more than $50 million of his own money.
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, October 8, 2002
Democrat Tony Sanchez, whose self-generosity knows no bounds, has spent $54.4 million of his own money in his quest to unseat Republican Gov. Rick Perry, according to reports filed Monday.
Sanchez could be on pace to become the greatest self-funder in American political history, a title now held by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who spent $79 million of his own money to get the job last year.
Those who are willing to spend Michael Bloomberg, New York mayor, 2001 $79 million (won) Jon Corzine, New Jersey senator, 2000, $60 million (won) Tony Sanchez, Texas governor, 2002, $54.4 million Steve Forbes, president, 2000, $38.7 million (dropped out)
You got that right!!!
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State |
North Texas | East Texas | South Texas | Central Texas | West Texas | |
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Democrat Ron Kirk | 30% | 33% | 28% | 29% | 33% | 20% | |
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Republican John Cornyn | 56% | 55% | 57% | 51% | 55% | 66% | |
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Undecided | 14% | 12% | 14% | 20% | 12% | 14% | |
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State |
Male | Female | White | Hisp | Afri-Amer | |
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Democrat Ron Kirk | 29% | 26% | 33% | 24% | 43% | 77% |
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Republican John Cornyn | 56% | 61% | 51% | 63% | 30% | 9% |
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Undecided | 15% | 12% | 16% | 13% | 26% | 14% |
I was with my County Chairman for the Perry campaign just after she got back from the news conference this afternoon. She is in a mild panic knowing what is about to hit the fan among the most conservative wing of the party.
I hope this doesn't become a problem. We are also seeing Dewhurst problems out here.
Conscience? I wasn't aware that Morales had one...
But my feeling is that those people already had a problem with Perry, and were going to hold their nose and vote for him anyway.
I don't think there's any doubt, though, that this endorsement HURTS Sanchez, far more than it could ever hurt Perry.
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