Something special is happening in Austin tonight: http://t.co/RpbnCbO6zw #StandWithWendy
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 26, 2013
After a grueling all-day filibuster on the floor of the Texas Statehouse Tuesday night, state Sen. Wendy Davis derailed what would have been among the nation’s most restrictive abortion policies. Davis read testimony from doctors and patients who would be affected by the bill, and was prohibited from sitting, drinking, leaning or using the bathroom for the duration of the filibuster. Republicans tried but failed to pass the legislation before the midnight deadline, effectively killing the legislation. Consequently, #standwithwendy became a rallying cry for reproductive rights. You can read a detailed account of the night’s events here.
Unsurprisingly, speculation has already turned to the possibility of a gubernatorial run for the state senator. Could Davis be competitive in this traditionally reddest of red states? The DailyKos thinks so:
Last night’s epic filibuster (the talking kind, which are okay) was a national phenomenon, Battleground Texas is rebuilding the state’s infrastructure, millions of Latinos will be left uninsured thanks to Perry’s rejection of Obamacare, and so on. Things are changing at the speed of light.
The Kos piece cites a Public Policy Poll from January which found Davis trailing incumbent Gov. Rick Perry by a fairly narrow 47-41 margin. Of course, this was conducted well before she became a national figure, and the same poll found another Democrat actually leading Perry in a head to head matchup.
When asked by Rawstory about the likelihood of a Davis run for governor, Texas Democratic Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa said:
“She does what she believes is right. We’ve been sorely lacking that kind of leadership in the state of Texas for more than 20 years. So, yeah. I’m hoping she runs for statewide office, and I know that should she decide to, all of these women and men that are here today, young and old, will work their hearts out for her. She’d probably get elected governor, or whatever other office she wants to run for.”
Billy Silverman