No, Wendy Davis won't be Texas' next governor
Despite all the media attention, Davis faces a steep challenge in the ruby red state
Texas State Senator Wendy Davis (D) rose to national prominence last week with her successful 11-hour filibuster of a strict abortion law.
However, despite a surge of interest in Davis' political future, the Texas lawmaker is still a long shot to become the state's next governor, according to a PPP poll released Tuesday.
Davis has doubled her in-state name recognition since January, such that 68 percent of voters now know who she is. Yet in a head-to-head matchup with Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R), Davis still trails by a sizable 14 points, 53 to 39 percent.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
That's actually a worse showing for Davis than what PPP found when it polled the same question back in January. At that time, Davis trailed Perry by just a six-point margin, 47 to 41 percent.
Further, despite the debate Davis' filibuster spawned over women's issues and reproductive rights, Perry actually leads her among female voters, 49 to 43 percent.
"Wendy Davis made a strong first impression on Texas voters last week," said PPP President Dean Debnam. "But the chances that the state turns blue in 2014 still look pretty slim."
Perry's approval rating has improved significantly over the first half of the year. He's still underwater, with 50 percent of voters saying they disapprove of his job performance versus 45 percent who say the opposite. But that's much better than January, when that split was 54 to 41 percent.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
While Texas' abortion debate has grabbed national headlines and drawn a wave of support for Davis across the web, Texans remain evenly split on the issue. Forty-five percent of voters say they support Davis' filibuster, while 40 percent say they do not. At the same time though, 43 percent say they support Perry's decision to call a special legislative session to ram through the abortion bill Davis blocked, while 44 percent oppose.
Also working against Davis is the state's heavy Republican tilt. Perry won re-election in 2010 by double-digits despite being a relatively unpopular governor. Mitt Romney won there last November by a 16-point spread.
Perry will announce on Monday whether he plans to seek another term. Attorney General George Abbott, a Republican who says he may join the race, also leads Davis by a 48 to 40 percent split in the new PPP poll.
Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.
-
Ecuador's cloud forest has legal rights – and maybe a song credit
Under the Radar In a world first, 'rights of nature' project petitions copyright office to recognise Los Cedros forest as song co-creator
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Today's political cartoons - November 3, 2024
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - presidential pitching, wavering convictions, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Why Man United finally lost patience with ten Hag
Talking Point After another loss United sacked ten Hag in hopes of success in the Champion's League
By The Week UK Published
-
US election: who the billionaires are backing
The Explainer More have endorsed Kamala Harris than Donald Trump, but among the 'ultra-rich' the split is more even
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
US election: where things stand with one week to go
The Explainer Harris' lead in the polls has been narrowing in Trump's favour, but her campaign remains 'cautiously optimistic'
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Is Trump okay?
Today's Big Question Former president's mental fitness and alleged cognitive decline firmly back in the spotlight after 'bizarre' town hall event
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
The life and times of Kamala Harris
The Explainer The vice-president is narrowly leading the race to become the next US president. How did she get to where she is now?
By The Week UK Published
-
Will 'weirdly civil' VP debate move dial in US election?
Today's Big Question 'Diametrically opposed' candidates showed 'a lot of commonality' on some issues, but offered competing visions for America's future and democracy
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
1 of 6 'Trump Train' drivers liable in Biden bus blockade
Speed Read Only one of the accused was found liable in the case concerning the deliberate slowing of a 2020 Biden campaign bus
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How could J.D. Vance impact the special relationship?
Today's Big Question Trump's hawkish pick for VP said UK is the first 'truly Islamist country' with a nuclear weapon
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Biden, Trump urge calm after assassination attempt
Speed Reads A 20-year-old gunman grazed Trump's ear and fatally shot a rally attendee on Saturday
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published