Texas Governor Race 2014: Candidates Push Efforts to Win Latino, Female Vote Despite Republican's Large Lead
With the Texas gubernatorial election coming to a close on Nov. 4, the candidates are reportedly relying on efforts to push registered voters to the polling booths on Election Day.
As Latin Post reported, Texas' early voting period ended on Oct. 31 and Republican candidate Greg Abbott and Democratic candidate Wendy Davis have strengthened their "get-out-the-vote" efforts, especially the Davis campaign.
One poll has Abbott, currently the state's attorney general, 20 percentage points ahead of Davis. The GOP are hoping registered voters don't become victims of "overconfidence and complacency," as McClatchy DC noted.
"The only hope the Democrats have is the only Achilles' heel we have, which is that our side becomes so convinced that we're ahead, that the race is over, that Republicans don't vote, and then the Democrats still turn out their vote," Texas Republican Party Chairman Steve Munisteri said. "For us, it's really important that we maintain the pressure to turn out votes."
There's no complacency with the Davis campaign as the state senator from Fort Worth has been reaching out to millennials, minorities and women.
Abbott, however, has said he's going to win the female vote. At a campaign stop last week, Abbott told supporters, "The great irony about the way this campaign for governor has turned out is that my opponent, Wendy Davis, said she was going to win the women's vote. I am winning the women's vote."
A Davis campaign official rebuffed Abbott's comments. Spokeswoman Rebecca Acuña said, "A man who pays women less than men in his office, wants to make abortion illegal for victims of rape and incest and campaigns with a sexual predator of underage girls is not going to win a majority of women in Texas."
Texas Democratic Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa said a large turnout among Latino registered voters could shift the election in favor of the Democrats. According to McClatchy DC, Hinojosa said the issue is turnout. "It comes to that," he said. "We just need a little cooperation from the biggest part of our base, which are Hispanic voters."
If Latino voters turn out, Hinojosa said, "We win."
As Latin Post reported, Texas Secretary of State Nandita Berry said the state recorded more registered voters than in previous elections with 14.02 million people registered. The voter turnout so far, however, has been considered "flat." Based on early voting attendance, some registered voters have been "surprised" with turnout, as many thought it would be higher than the previous election season. The Associated Press noted 1.3 million people have voted during the first 10 days of early voting in Texas, but the figure is from the state's largest counties. The 1.3 million rate is slightly up from the 2010 midterm election, but it's down in terms of the total percentage of registered voters.
The latest CBS News, New York Times and YouGov polls project Abbott winning with 53 percent to 35 percent, based on nearly 3,990 adults participating in their survey. In the same poll, Davis lost the female vote with 37 percent to the Republican candidate's 49 percent.
The election comes as current Republican Gov. Rick Perry chose not to seek a fourth four-year term. Voting locations close at 7 p.m. CST.
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