Administration to defend Texas values” boasts Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott in his
website blog July 17, 2013.
And Abbott has been doing exactly that for the past decade since winning his seat back in 2002, suing the Obama Administration 27 times. With many Texans still sitting uneasy with Obamacare right around the corner, it is comforting to know the fight will continue should Abbott win in 2014 for the open seat of Texas Governor. Among other things, a notable victory includes Abbott’s fight to keep the Ten Commandments displayed at the Capital Building in Austin which went all the way up to the Supreme Court in 2005. With a record like this, it is clear that Abbott is a quality candidate for the GOP and Texans alike.
With $18 million in bank for campaign as reported by the Texas Ethics Commission as of June
2013, Abbott is well prepared for a statewide campaign although it does not look like much of a
contested battle for him. Tom Pauken, the only other prominent GOP contender for Texas
Governor, has only managed to raise a little over $200,000 as reported by the Texas Ethics
Commission as of June 2013. With 100 times more campaign funds to work with, it’s clear that
Abbott has the advantage over Pauken. Fundraising ability can be a determining factor in
running a successful and competitive campaign, especially across the huge state of Texas.
Money talks and when it comes to winning the votes of Texans, Abbott’s voice is loud and clear.
Based on campaign funds alone it is clear that Abbott is set win not only the primary, but also the
general election.
Being a conservative candidate in a red state doesn’t hurt your chances either. In a PPP Poll back
in July 2, when asked if the candidates for Governor next year were Republican Greg Abbott and
Democrat Wendy Davis, 48% of voters favored Abbott while only 40% of voters favored Davis.
Although Davis went from unknown Senator to National Star in one night with her 13 hour
filibuster, it still seems it isn’t enough to take on Abbott. Senator Wendy Davis still has not
declared candidacy for Governor Seat but if she does, I’m more than willing to bet she will not
win in the general although I have no doubt she will win the democratic primary. It will be an
uphill climb for any Democratic opponents running for the open seat.
Although Abbott has similar policies to that of Perry, it is unsure if tax subsidies for companies
that bring jobs to Texas will remain. Perry is well known as the “job creator” for Texas using
these subsidies as incentives for companies to move their headquarters and factories to Texas.
Abbott, on the other hand, has a different view on the topic. “Government is supposed to be on
your side, not riding your backs” Abbott said July 14 in a press conference in San Antonio.
Rather than focusing on tax subsidies as incentives to bring businesses to Texas, Abbott is more
focused on revising the tax code itself. What exactly he wants to change and how this will affect
job creation is still unsure at this point but he does ensure that taxes won’t go up in his
evaluation. With the economy still not fully recovered, I feel that this issue on tax codes and job
creation will be a major topic in debates to come. With overwhelming support from Texans and a huge lead in fundraising abilities, it’s astounding to believe how much Abbott has accomplished given his disability. At age 26 Abbott was involved in an accident which left him paralyzed, but this hasn’t seemed to slow him down at all.
And in some ways, it has actually worked to his advantage as it has motivated him to accomplish
more than he ever thought he would. “I’m in a wheelchair. I understand challenges that people
face every day,” Abbott said in a press conference in San Antonio. “We all face those challenges
and I can relate to them and try to lift them up as they overcome adversity.” One slogan that is
often most well-known that Abbott said was “Some politicians talk about having a spine of steel.
I actually have one.” As funny as it sounds, it sure does speak the truth about him.
With $18 million in bank for campaign as reported by the Texas Ethics Commission as of June
2013, Abbott is well prepared for a statewide campaign although it does not look like much of a
contested battle for him. Tom Pauken, the only other prominent GOP contender for Texas
Governor, has only managed to raise a little over $200,000 as reported by the Texas Ethics
Commission as of June 2013. With 100 times more campaign funds to work with, it’s clear that
Abbott has the advantage over Pauken. Fundraising ability can be a determining factor in
running a successful and competitive campaign, especially across the huge state of Texas.
Money talks and when it comes to winning the votes of Texans, Abbott’s voice is loud and clear.
Based on campaign funds alone it is clear that Abbott is set win not only the primary, but also the
general election.
Being a conservative candidate in a red state doesn’t hurt your chances either. In a PPP Poll back
in July 2, when asked if the candidates for Governor next year were Republican Greg Abbott and
Democrat Wendy Davis, 48% of voters favored Abbott while only 40% of voters favored Davis.
Although Davis went from unknown Senator to National Star in one night with her 13 hour
filibuster, it still seems it isn’t enough to take on Abbott. Senator Wendy Davis still has not
declared candidacy for Governor Seat but if she does, I’m more than willing to bet she will not
win in the general although I have no doubt she will win the democratic primary. It will be an
uphill climb for any Democratic opponents running for the open seat.
Although Abbott has similar policies to that of Perry, it is unsure if tax subsidies for companies
that bring jobs to Texas will remain. Perry is well known as the “job creator” for Texas using
these subsidies as incentives for companies to move their headquarters and factories to Texas.
Abbott, on the other hand, has a different view on the topic. “Government is supposed to be on
your side, not riding your backs” Abbott said July 14 in a press conference in San Antonio.
Rather than focusing on tax subsidies as incentives to bring businesses to Texas, Abbott is more
focused on revising the tax code itself. What exactly he wants to change and how this will affect
job creation is still unsure at this point but he does ensure that taxes won’t go up in his
evaluation. With the economy still not fully recovered, I feel that this issue on tax codes and job
creation will be a major topic in debates to come. With overwhelming support from Texans and a huge lead in fundraising abilities, it’s astounding to believe how much Abbott has accomplished given his disability. At age 26 Abbott was involved in an accident which left him paralyzed, but this hasn’t seemed to slow him down at all.
And in some ways, it has actually worked to his advantage as it has motivated him to accomplish
more than he ever thought he would. “I’m in a wheelchair. I understand challenges that people
face every day,” Abbott said in a press conference in San Antonio. “We all face those challenges
and I can relate to them and try to lift them up as they overcome adversity.” One slogan that is
often most well-known that Abbott said was “Some politicians talk about having a spine of steel.
I actually have one.” As funny as it sounds, it sure does speak the truth about him.