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Perry Apparently Wins TX-GOV Republican Primary -- And Hutchison Actually Concedes
Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX)
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Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX), who was being challenged in the Republican primary by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Tea Party activist Debra Medina, has won renomination -- not just leading his competitors, but apparently surpassing the 50 percent of the vote needed to win outright and avoid a runoff.
It is not yet official that Perry truly did win more than 50% of the vote -- but it appears very likely. And in any case, Hutchison has conceded the race.
With 62% of precincts reporting on the Secretary of State's website, Perry has 51.36%, Hutchison 30.69%, and Medina 17.94%. Keep in mind that this represents far more than 62% of the actual vote. In Texas, the early votes are tabulated as if they were a precinct within each county. What this meant was that the first 5% or so of precincts represented several hundred thousand votes in the GOP primary, spread throughout the state.
This provided both a huge sample of votes -- nearly half of what has reported so far -- and it served to even out potential geographic distortions from some precincts reporting later than others.
In her concession speech, Hutchison fully endorsed Perry: "Now we must unite. We must win Texas for Republicans and our conservative principles in November.... A contested primary will naturally leave some hard feelings, but I ask my supporters tonight, all through Texas, to join me and unite behind Gov. Perry. That is what will be best, for all of us and for Texas. Our party must come together."
In his victory speech, Perry boasted: "The message is pretty clear. Conservatism has never been stronger than it is today. And we're taking our country back -- one vote at a time, one election at a time!"
Perry now faces Houston Mayor Bill White. The TPM Poll Average, composed of poll data conducted before tonight's primary, has Perry leading White in a general election, by a margin of 48.3%-40.5%.
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mcc
March 3, 2010 12:08 AM
This is excellent news, for Bill White
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jdb316
March 3, 2010 9:13 AM in reply to mcc
If this were 2008, yes. But there is going to be far greater Republican enthusiasm than Democratic enthusiasm this year. While Perry is a lunatic to many of us non-Texans, conservatives down there love him, and they'll be the ones who turn out this year. The KBH supporters will grudgingly cast their votes for Perry in November and he'll get 60+% of the vote. Barring Perry being ensnared by a major scandal, Bill White doesn't stand a chance.
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Viva!America!
March 3, 2010 6:15 AM
Texas get rid of this whacko!
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lousgirl84
March 3, 2010 8:45 AM in reply to Viva!America!
This is a perfect case in point of people voting against their own self-interests. I am not a KBH fan but she has been a good senator for her state but because she's not an extremist, she's out.
Pretty pathetic.
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Beetlejuice
March 3, 2010 7:46 AM
IT WASN'T EVEN CLOSE !!!!!!
With the republicans so divided, between 3 candidates - 51/30/19 and the vitriol of the tea-baggers, birthers, oath keepers and so forth, White should have an excellent chance in cinching this one.
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AhTrini1
March 3, 2010 8:36 AM
The White folks want their country back!
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CityGuy
March 3, 2010 9:25 AM in reply to AhTrini1
I never thought I'd be saying this, but it's going to be tough for the White candidate to win Texas in November. Even with the Rethugs having had their 3-way yesterday.
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TBender
March 3, 2010 9:00 AM
Um, Mr. Perry, "taking the country back" means you, the incumbent, should lose.
And now we get eight more months of Perry's secessionist ads. Yay us!
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Brownbagger
March 3, 2010 9:24 AM in reply to TBender
You don't understand. He means "take the country back" to 1861.
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TBender
March 3, 2010 9:45 AM in reply to Brownbagger
For Texas, it's 1836. Republic of Texas and all of that.
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Richardxx
March 3, 2010 11:36 AM in reply to TBender
Texas is not 1836, it's 1936. The descendants of Texas oil wildcatters and a few other wealthy men in banking and real estate dominate the politics with their wealth and they hate government regulation, the income tax (progressive or otherwise) and the New Deal.
Don't mistake the political rhetoric in Texas for what is really dominating the politics here. It's always really money and religion. The rhetoric is there to misdirect attention away from those who control the economy.
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expat46
March 3, 2010 9:48 AM in reply to Brownbagger
That would make a good billboard for Bill White.
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Impishparrot
March 3, 2010 9:21 AM
Good. Now Texas can secede and take their 'Dark Ages' State Board of Education with it. Maybe they can contract with Mexico to pay for military protection, and rent an air force. Does Perry understand that all those big military bases in Texas will closed if the state secedes? Where's he going to get the money if he does away with income taxes?
You may recall that Perry was all behind blocking defense spending for our troops in December.
A true Southern-fried idiot.
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Cornelius
March 3, 2010 9:29 AM in reply to Impishparrot
Yes he is, a true Southern-fried idiot. Having lived in lower AL for 3 years I still shake my head as to why people vote against their own self-interest. Seems they would rather live under a bridge than give up their "beliefs/identity".
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Joekuh
March 3, 2010 9:36 AM in reply to Impishparrot
The last sentence in that link pretty much says it all.
"I demand that Rick Perry apologize to the brave men and women who are defending us overseas so he can have the freedom to speak his cowardly mind."
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JEP07
March 3, 2010 9:56 AM in reply to Impishparrot
Maybe if they secede we won't have top order all our textbooks from them, cuz' they'd be a foreign nation?
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NitPicker1
March 3, 2010 11:25 AM in reply to Impishparrot
Actually, there is some good news on the State Board Of Education front, this from Lorenzo Sadun:
More in the comments here:
http://www.burntorangereport.com/diary/10089/election-night-open-thread-comments-releases-tips
SBOE Districts 5 and 10 split Austin (to dilute the liberal vote); if you happen to live in those districts start paying attention to those races, as they are both *potentially* winnable for the very good Dem candidates we have in those races now. But it's going to take some serious effort.
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Joekuh
March 3, 2010 9:34 AM
" (Perry's) campaign tagged the senator as "Kay 'Bailout' Hutchinson," [B]hammering her over federal money she secured for Texas over the years and depicting her as deeply entrenched in Washington.[/B] "
Uh, you would think in the real world, that's a good thing. Or did I miss something?
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KeithL
March 3, 2010 9:52 AM in reply to Joekuh
Yes. You mentioned the real world. We're talkin' Texas!
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Marinus van der Lubbe
March 3, 2010 9:54 AM
It will be interesting to see where the 19% that Medina garnished go, as Perry didnt excite them that much. That's 1/5 the conservative vote there. Hutchison's 30% are middle of the road, moderate conservatives that are probably freaked out by Perry and Medina...do they stay home and not vote or be sheep and fall in line? Texas will be interesting to see. Not living there I have no idea what the Dem candidate is like or if he has a snowball's chance.
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JEP07
March 3, 2010 9:54 AM
Palin/Perry. 2012?
Is that where this is going?
Or would he want to be on top?
Does anyone else think Perry would look perfect in an SS uniform?
He's the worst kind of American politician/opportunist, depending on ignorance, fear and loathing, and very dangerous, incendiary prejudice to stir up the basest of bases.
When was the last time we heard these kinds of dogwhistles?
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Brownbagger
March 3, 2010 10:06 AM in reply to JEP07
Vee vill not speeeek ef such things agin, vunderstood? Papers pleeeeese.
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JadeZ
March 3, 2010 10:02 AM
lol
anyone who still believes voting is honest in this country needs a new brain.
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mames, syr
March 3, 2010 10:42 AM
This is really scary, but not unexpected. This guy is no Rhodes Scholar, but he's smart enough to manipulate a lot of the 'low information voters' out there.
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Powkat
March 3, 2010 11:29 AM
I miss Molly Ivins - she would have excoriated 'Gov. Goodhair'
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TBender
March 3, 2010 11:30 AM
For those worried about the Texas SBOE and their ability to steer textbook editing, take hope in this: Christianist Don McLeroy lost.
http://www.texastribune.org/stories/2010/mar/03/state-board-education/
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ETSpoon
March 3, 2010 11:39 AM
Once again, the "independent-minded," "maverick," "free-thinking" rank and file Texas Republicans have chosen a career and opportunistic politician, Rick Perry, first elected to state office in '84 was a Democrat before he was a Republican, over another career Republican politician, Kay Bailey Hutchison and a tea bagger of no consequence.
And according to a Time magazine article I read yesterday online, the "independent-minded," "maverick," "free thinking" Texas Republican rank and file threw their support to Perry because he's a "Washington outsider."
The rubes never get it. Do they?
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par4
March 3, 2010 11:50 AM
He should be hung for treason for threatening secession.
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