Posted on 07/31/2012 2:50:22 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Texas' intensely watched Republican U.S. Senate runoff tonight will be a stunner no matter how it turns out.
Political newcomer Ted Cruz could defeat Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, a well-known and well-funded GOP officeholder, and provide tea party activists across the country another high-profile victory. An outside poll released late Sunday indicated that Cruz had a solid 10-point lead over Dewhurst.
But Dewhurst, who has the support of Gov. Rick Perry and other top Texas political leaders, could still snatch a victory from the tea party. He has poured $19 million of his own personal fortune into the race, and Dewhurst said Monday that his internal polling shows him leading.
Polls will be open today from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Statewide, Republican voters also will decide between incumbent David Medina and former District Judge John Devine for a seat on the nine-member Texas Supreme Court. The runoff winner faces no Democratic opponent in November.
Voters in western Travis and Hays counties will have a say in the GOP runoff for congressional District 25 — an open seat sought by Wes Riddle, founder of the Central Texas Tea Party, and Roger Williams, former Texas secretary of state.
District 25, extending to just south of Fort Worth, also includes the Capitol, the University of Texas and much of Northeast Austin.
In a contentious state Senate race, other Central Texas voters will decide between Republicans Jeff Wentworth, a 20-year veteran of the Texas Senate, and tea party candidate Donna Campbell, a doctor.
On the Democratic ballot, former state House member Paul Sadler and retired teacher Grady Yarbrough are vying for the U.S. Senate nomination.
The GOP Senate race has attracted the attention of conservative luminaries who see in Cruz another opportunity to unsettle the GOP establishment in Washington. This past weekend, Cruz bounced from appearances with U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, the godfather of tea party senators, to Sarah Palin to Rick Santorum as he rallied voters across the state.
Some Texas tea party leaders issued a statement Monday aimed at countering Dewhurst campaign statements that the backing of state Sen. Dan Patrick, a tea party stalwart from Houston, indicated that Dewhurst had wide support from tea party voters.
"It is obvious that your recent tea party posturing is just a desperate attempt to trick voters in the closing hours of this election. Though you are right to recognize that the tea party will be the deciding factor in this election, our support is not with you," said the statement, which was signed by about 50 tea party leaders from across the state.
On Monday, Dewhurst started his day with a quick stop at a South Austin Chick-fil-A in solidarity with the restaurant, which has been the subject of criticism from gay marriage supporters because the company's president condemned marriage equality.
"In Texas, we don't try and be politically correct. We want people to have freedom of beliefs, freedom of religion," Dewhurst said, clutching a bag with a chicken sandwich — no pickles.
The Dewhurst campaign also tried to tamp down the sense that Cruz had captured the momentum by releasing details from its latest poll, conducted by GOP pollster Mike Baselice, which showed Dewhurst at 48 percent and Cruz at 44 percent.
"When David Dewhurst wins tomorrow, it will once again be apparent that folks who live inside the Washington Beltway have zero idea what's going on in Texas," a campaign statement said.
The survey poll from Public Policy Polling showed Cruz leading with support from 52 percent of the respondents to Dewhurst's 42 percent. Among tea party voters, Cruz swamped Dewhurst 75-22 percent.
"There has been too much of a tendency to ascribe any Republican primary upset over the last few years to Tea Party voters, but this is one case where it's well justified," the polling firm wrote on its website.
The poll was conducted over the weekend by automated calls to 665 likely Republican runoff voters. The margin of error for the survey is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
Are you a Texan, Mountain Mary?
At this point I think it’s Cruz’s to lose.
There is a lot riding on this including the strong symbolism of the conservative Tea Party mood, determination and strength nationally.
>> All we have running our country are rich politicians, most of them lawyers,who know the tricks of legalised theft.
Not meaning to open a can of worms, but here’s the funny thing about your statement as it concerns the Texas Republican Senate primary:
1)Dewhurst is not, and has never been, a lawyer.
2)Cruz is, and has never been anything but, a lawyer.
:-)
Mind you Dewhurst is not “my guy”. Everyone here who labels him an “establishment Republican” is correct. It’s not that I doubt that Dewhurst is in the Establishment camp; it’s that I doubt that Cruz will remain OUTSIDE of the Establishment camp for very long at all. My guess is the Tea Party will become disappointed with his actual behavior in the Senate, same as we are with Cornyn (and with KBH, in spades).
One more thing: the so-called “RINO Establishment” in Texas (i.e. Dewhurst’s running buddies) is pro-oil, pro-land, pro-ag, pro-business. To be sure they are corrupted by wealth, and manipulate government to serve their interests rather than the “little guy”, but give me THAT “establishment” ANY DAY over the pro-environment, pro-gay, pro-labor “rino establishment” you find in Yankee country!
No, but I am one of the thousands of Tea Party activists around the country who are supporting Ted.
I’ve contributed to his campaign three times and was part of his phone banks.
I love Texas and freedom, NT.
David, is that you? Your veiled support of him, NT, is not hard to detect.
Cruz is a constitional conservative who will never be part of the GOP-E. You haven’t done your homework.
“Mind you Dewhurst is not “my guy”. Everyone here who labels him an “establishment Republican” is correct. It’s not that I doubt that Dewhurst is in the Establishment camp; it’s that I doubt that Cruz will remain OUTSIDE of the Establishment camp for very long at all. My guess is the Tea Party will become disappointed with his actual behavior in the Senate, same as we are with Cornyn (and with KBH, in spades).”
LOL.
I voted for Cruz, and in another race where I didn’t have a preference... I voted for the guy Dan Patrick did NOT endorse...
Dan is going to have a lot of damage control to do after the damage this election did to his reputation.
Certainly NOT a Dewhurst fan and being a strong Cruz supporter, I see it as something honorable for a man to spend his own money to get into public office, as long as he gained his money honestly (there is no indication to the contrary).
The thing Dewhurst has done that I find dishonorable is to play campaigning dirtily.
One thing most not well acquainted with Texas politics do not have a good feel for is that we just came from 100 years of truly swarmy Yeller Dog Dem control of the state and ANY Republican, even a RINO is night and day better than from where we came.
There is nothing wrong will still wanting better, let's hope Cruz wins today!
>> I love Texas and freedom, NT.
I live here, Mary.
It’s really interesting that to please you I not only need to worship at the feet of your chosen one, but I ALSO need to spew pure venom at your UNchosen one. Or, I guess, I’m not “pure” enough for you.
Fortunately, pleasing you is nowhere on my bucket list, so I choose to do neither of the above.
You make some rather nasty and provocative personal accusations for someone who knows nothing at all about me.
I live on a small ranch in oil country in central Texas. I see with my own eyes, and live every single day, the issues that face rural Texans. To accuse me of “being David” and to say I haven’t “done my homework” is simply to parade your ignorance for all to see.
As with everyone, however, you’re entitled to your opinion, even if I pray that you’ll find a more productive way to express it.
FRegards
>> The thing Dewhurst has done that I find dishonorable is to play campaigning dirtily.
Not only dirty, but *really* dirty. And clueless. Did you even *understand* that ad with the crying woman whose kid committed suicide after being in prison in PA? WTF??!?
On the other hand, Cruz slung his share of mud too. I’m fed up with both of them, frankly. Glad the campaign is finally over.
I voted for Cruz today. Not that either one of them can walk on water. And I’m a central Texan who works in the oil fields.And what you say is true, the only reason I voted Cruz is he has yet to be corrupted by the establishment IMHO. And I ain’t saying he won’t be...
Voter enthusiasm is through the roof. The prairie is on fire! There may be more votes cast in the run-off than in the May primary. In Harris County (Houston,) 58,000 Republican votes were cast in early voting for the May primary. There are 70,000 Republican ballots cast in this run-off. Similar story in the San Antonio area. Cruz may win 60-40.
And we thank you for that!!!
You made the statement that you doubt that Cruz will remain outside of the Establishment for long.
Now whose ignorant?
You obviously know very little about Ted and his core beliefs to make that assumption. and you have NO facts to support this theory.
It isn’t spewing venom but rather being truthful to expose Dewhurst for being the nasty RINO that he is. See his unparalled attack ads against his opponent.
So you haven’t done your homework.
Finally, your insinuation that if I do not live in Texas, I’m not qualified to speak about it.. is ridiculous. My daughter lives there and I love the state...visit every chance I get.
So, someone asked, "Len, how many fish did you catch?"
Lennart replied, "...three..."
~~~~~~~~~~
Using Len's logic, after I voted at 1 pm, Republican vs Democrat voting in our very rural, northeastern Texas Pineywoods precinct was running at an encouraging 6:1... '-)
BTW, the “1” was the Democrat poll worker... :-)
And the correct ratio was 7:1...
:)
>> Now whose ignorant?
ROFL!
I’ll just let *that* little jewel of yours speak for itself.
Ted Cruz WINS! Drink Hearty, Tea Party!!
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