If you believe the latest polls, Wendy Davis faces an uphill battle, to say the least, in her race for Texas Governor. But what if the race turned into a national one? Would the tables be turned?
Jonathan Tilove and J. David McSwane of the Austin-American Statesman sat down with Texas Standard’s David Brown to talk about Davis’ popularity, particularly in light of the campaign contributions she’s received from across the nation.
“I think it’s the filibuster,” Tilove said. “That made her a sensation overnight across the country. It was on an issue people cared about, and I think people saw her as the great Democratic hope for Texas.”
According to McSwane, Davis has received more than 30,000 individual contributions from people outside of Texas, a number that “blows Abbott out of the water”. Contributions have poured in from citizens in heavily Democratic states like California and Oregon, but even Alaska and Delaware have been home to some surprise donors.
“I think it indicates that she’s a national figure,” Tilove said.
Yet Abbott has a sizable war-chest, and popularity on the national stage may not mean as much to Texas voters. For more, listen to the conversation in the player above.
Texas Standard intern Trace Levos also contributed to this post.
