Bill White is the sort of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Schieffer had hoped to be. He’s well-funded. He’s got an organization and a base of voters. He’s the kind of moderate who can attract votes from independents and not just Democrats. And he never voted for George W. Bush.
2010 elections
2010: Shapleigh endorses Bill White
Houston Mayor Bill White hasn’t even announced yet that he’s running for governor. But state Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, is endorsing him.
2010: Friedman Campaign Responds, However Briefly
Kinky campaign: Schieffer announcement doesn’t change our plans.
Schieffer’s Out, Will Endorse White
Democrat Tom Schieffer dropped out of the gubernatorial race, saying he’ll endorse Houston Mayor Bill White and hopes other gubernatorial candidates will do the same.
Peace, Love, and Understanding
Earlier this month, Rick Perry helped push a so-called RINO — Republican In Name Only — off the congressional ballot in New York, only to see the Conservative Party candidate he backed lose to a Democrat. But that kind of us-versus-them narrative was missing from the just completed Republican Governor’s Association meeting in Bastrop County.
Taking the Middle Ground
Earlier this month Texas Governor Rick Perry helped push a so-called RINO — Republican In Name Only — off the congressional ticket in New York. Only to see the Conservative Party candidate he backed lose to a Democrat. But that kind of “Us vs. Them” — “True Republican vs. Moderate” battle was invisible during the just completed Republican Governor’s Association meeting in Bastrop County.
2010: The Texas Tribune Index
The number-crunchers among the Republicans and the Democrats in Texas use election results to get a feel for the political environment in each legislative district. They start with statewide races and then bake in some assumptions about what might happen if they put the right candidates in place. We and other political watchers need the same thing, without the partisan ingredients. So we cooked up the Texas Tribune Index.
White: Still Running for Senate. Really.
Houston Mayor Bill White, interviewed by Texas Tribune Editor-in-chief and CEO Evan Smith at the Center for Politics and Governance at the University of Texas at Austin’s LBJ School of Public Affairs. White said, once again, that he’s running for Senate and not governor.
Running with the Numbers
Texas gained more than 41,000 jobs in October, according to the Texas Workforce Commission. More than 100,000 jobs were lost over the previous two months. These statistics are good political fodder when there’s a fight for the governor’s office brewing, like there is now.
Ads Infinitum: Medina’s TV Spot To Air in East Texas
This ad is worth a look. Toward the end, there’s a special shot of Medina really connecting with common man, by carrying a non-descript giant sack on her shoulder.

