Change in the air for Texas leadership

By Matthew Waller
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas is looking at a sea change among statewide candidates, and Tuesday’s primary election might be the most important race in deciding the Lone Star’s leadership.

Gov. Rick Perry isn’t running for re-election, and that has caused a chain reaction of state officials wanting to move up the line.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott is running against Lisa Fritsch, Miriam Martinez, and Larry SECEDE Kilgore. Abbott is strongly favored to win, and he would face the Democratic candidate.

State Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, is running against South Texas Municipal Judge Reynaldo Madrigal. Davis is strongly favored to win that competition.

The lieutenant governor race is among the most hotly contested state races.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, the incumbent, is running for re-election against state Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson and Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples. The primary race could end up in a runoff. The winner will face state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio.

More state offices — such as the attorney general race, the race for comptroller, the commissioner of agriculture and the statewide Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeals — have multiple Republican candidates.

“We have one party domination with Republicans,” Angelo State University political science professor Jack Barbour said. “Whoever wins the primary is the pretty safe bet for who will win the office.”

Early voting, which ended Friday, “was pretty consistent with what we saw in the last primary election,” said Alicia Pierce, a spokeswoman for the Office of the Texas Secretary of State.

About 6.8 percent of registered voters turned out this year.

In May 2012 that number was 6.87. In March 2010 there was a 6.01 percent turnout.

“One thing we’re preparing for and advising counties on is possible inclement weather,” Pierce said.