Along with discussing his political future during a speech in Arlington Thursday, state Sen. Dan Patrick also spoke at length about Sen. Wendy Davis.
Patrick, a Houston Republican, was the speaker at a meeting of the Arlington Republican Club. In his hour-long speech, he mentioned the importance of unseating Davis, a Fort Worth Democrat, several times.
"She's a nice lady but she needs to be doing something else in 2013," Patrick said.
Due to how Senate District 10 was reconfigured during redistricting this year, Davis is widely regarded as vulnerable in next year's elections. The state's new redistricting maps are the subject of more than a dozen lawsuits including some that specifically challenge how Senate District 10 was drawn. State Rep. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, has already announced plans to run against her. Other Republicans, including Fort Worth lawyer Dee Kelly and state Reps. Mark Shelton of Fort Worth and Vicki Truitt of Keller, have said they may vie for the seat as well.
Patrick suggested Davis is representative of the type of lawmaker Republicans must work to keep from winning elections in any part of the state.
"If Tarrant falls, if Harris falls, if Denton falls and if Collin falls, then Wendy Davis and everyone else who thinks like her will be in charge of Texas and that's not a state I want my children and my grandchildren to live in," Patrick said.
In an emailed statement, Davis responded:
"With all due respect to Senator Patrick, an extreme partisan voice in the legislature who has said that public education is an entitlement program and needs to receive billions less in funding, he doesn't seem to know much about our community or their priorities. I think hardworking families in North Texas would be better off if he spent more time in Houston."
-Aman Batheja
I can not vote for any of those folks but the choice is Plain. Ms Davis is for public schools. The other folks are not strong supporters of public schools. WJR GOP Guy
Posted by: Bill Rea | August 29, 2011 at 12:38 PM