TX-GOV

Perry Apparently Wins TX-GOV Republican Primary -- And Hutchison Actually Concedes

Eric Kleefeld | March 2, 2010, 11:54PM

Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX)

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.

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TX-GOV

Today's Texas Primary: The Right, The Far Right, And The Really Far Right

Eric Kleefeld | March 2, 2010, 12:24PM

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX), and TX-Gov. candidate Debra Medina (R)

Today is a big day in Texas, with voters going to the polls in the primary election for governor and other races. The top-ticket item is the Republican primary, in which incumbent Gov. Rick Perry is being challenged by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Tea Party activist Debra Medina.

Perry enjoys a substantial lead in the polls, but could end up falling short of the 50 percent support needed to avoid a runoff in April. The TPM Poll Average has Perry with 44.4%, Hutchison 28.9%, and Medina 17.6%.

The most interesting part of this race is just how Perry went from vulnerable to being out front, and the rise of the Tea Party narrative in the campaign.

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TX-GOV

Poll: Medina's Support Slips In Texas GOP Primary, Hurt By Truther Comments

Eric Kleefeld | February 23, 2010, 11:13AM

TX-Gov. candidate Debra Medina (R)

A new survey of the Texas Republican gubernatorial primary by Public Policy Polling (D) finds that tea party activist Debra Medina has lost some support, and could possibly have been hurt by comments that seemed to indicate that she might be a 9/11 Truther.

The numbers: Incumbent Gov. Rick Perry 40%, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison 31%, and Medina 20%. Three weeks ago, the numbers were Perry 39%, Hutchison 28%, and Medina 24%, with Hutchison in serious serious danger of falling into third place and missing out on a spot in the expected April 13 runoff.

About two weeks ago, Medina was asked during an appearance on Glenn Beck's radio show whether she believed in 9/11 conspiracy theories. "I think some very good questions have been raised in that regard, there are some very good arguments and I think the American people have not seen all the evidence there, so I have not taken a position on that," said Medina.

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Debra Medina

TX-GOV Candidate Medina To Speak Alongside Anti-Government 'Oath Keepers' Activists

Eric Kleefeld | February 18, 2010, 10:08AM

TX-Gov. candidate Debra Medina (R)

Debra Medina, the Tea Party activist and candidate in the Texas Republican gubernatorial primary who has attracted attention for her favorable comments about 9/11 Truthers and Birthers, is also involved with another extreme ideological movement: The Oath Keepers.

Will Bunch at the Philadelphia Daily News points out that Medina will appear this Sunday at an event in San Antonio, called "Taking Back Texas." The other two top-billed speakers are Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers movement, and Oather activist Richard Mack, a former sheriff of Graham County, Arizona.

The Oath Keepers, as detailed on their Web site, are a group that calls upon active and veteran members of the military, police and firefighters to take an oath that they will not obey any order they deem unconstitutional. The list of unconstitutional orders include enforcement of gun laws, detention of American citizens as enemy combatants, and impositions upon state sovereignty. The latter trends into areas of nullification -- an early 1800's ideological predecessor of secession, arguing that a state can unilaterally refuse to recognize a law of the federal government: "We will NOT obey orders to invade and subjugate any state that asserts its sovereignty and declares the national government to be in violation of the compact by which that state entered the Union."

Debra Medina

Medina: 'It's Healthy That People Are Asking Questions' About 9/11 And Obama's Birth Certificate (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | February 12, 2010, 5:31PM

TX-Gov. candidate Debra Medina (R)

It turns out that Debra Medina, the Tea Party activist and candidate for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in Texas who clarified remarks yesterday that seemingly presented her as a 9/11 Truther, later that same day gave an interview in which she dignified both Trutherism and the Birthers.

"The 9/11 Commission report, you know, great sections of that are redacted and they're top secret," Medina said. "That makes us all wonder, 'well what's happening back there?' The same is true with the birth certificate thing. I think it's healthy that people are asking questions."

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Debra Medina

TX-GOV Candidate Medina: I Have Never Believed The U.S. Government Was Involved In 9/11

Eric Kleefeld | February 11, 2010, 3:30PM

TX-Gov. candidate Debra Medina (R)

Debra Medina, the Tea Party activist who has been polling a strong third in the Texas Republican gubernatorial primary, has released a statement doing some damage control for remarks from earlier today, in which she seemingly indicated that she was either a 9/11 Truther or was open to the idea.

"I don't have all of the evidence there, Glenn, so I'm not in a place, I have not been out publicly questioning that," Medina said, when asked by Glenn Beck on his radio show whether she believed the U.S. government was involved in 9/11. "I think some very good questions have been raised in that regard, there are some very good arguments and I think the American people have not seen all the evidence there, so I have not taken a position on that."

After the interview, Beck quickly washed his hands of any notion that he would support Medina. She has now posted a statement declaring that she is not a Truther -- but she also respects the idea of people questioning their government.

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Debra Medina

TX-GOV Candidate Medina: 'Very Good Questions Have Been Raised' About 9/11

Eric Kleefeld | February 11, 2010, 1:46PM

TX-Gov. candidate Debra Medina (R)

Debra Medina, the Tea Party activist who has been polling strong in the Texas Republican gubernatorial primary, appears to have just gotten herself in some serious political trouble -- indicating during an appearance on Glenn Beck's radio show that she could potentially be a 9/11 Truther, or is at least open to the idea that 9/11 was an inside job by the government.

"I don't have all of the evidence there Glenn so I'm not in a place, I have not been out publicly questioning that," Medina said. "I think some very good questions have been raised in that regard, there are some very good arguments and I think the American people have not seen all the evidence there, so I have not taken a position on that."

After the interview, Beck then ruled out any idea of supporting Medina. "I think I can write her off the list," said Beck, also adding: "Let me take another look at Kay Bailey Hutchison if I have to. Rick [Perry], I think you and I could French kiss right now."

(Via Politico's Ben Smith)

Rick Perry

Poll: Rick Perry Unpopular, But Still Ahead Of Dem Bill White In General Election Match-Up

Eric Kleefeld | February 10, 2010, 11:44AM

Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX)

The new survey of Texas by Public Policy Polling (D) finds Republican Gov. Rick Perry with a narrow lead over the likely Democratic nominee, Houston Mayor Bill White, in a general election match-up -- at the same time as Texans disapprove of Perry's performance.

The numbers: Perry 48%, White 42%. Perry is facing a primary challenge from Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and conservative activist Debra Medina, in which Perry is currently in the lead. In the other general election scenarios, Hutchison leads White by 45%-38%, and Medina leads White by 44%-38%.

The interesting part, however, is that Perry's approval rating is at only 33%, to 50% disapproval, and yet he still leads White in the general election. The reason for this is that Perry's approval among Republicans is only 51%-28%, but they pick him over White by 83%-10%. The Republican primary is serving to drive down both Perry's and Hutchison's favorables among their party base, as they compete for votes, but the base is sticking with the eventual party nominee (whoever it might be) for now.

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TX-GOV

Poll: Hutchison In Tight Race For Second Place -- And A Runoff Slot -- In TX-GOV Republican Primary

Eric Kleefeld | February 9, 2010, 12:12PM

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX) and TX-Gov. candidate Debra Medina (R)

The new survey of the Texas gubernatorial race by Public Policy Polling (D) has some bad news for Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who is challenging incumbent Gov. Rick Perry in the Republican primary. Hutchison is now just barely holding on to second place, and could be overtaken for a spot in the primary runoff by businesswoman and conservative activist Debra Medina.

The numbers: Perry 39%, Hutchison 28%, Medina 24%, with a ±4.8% margin of error. If no candidate gets over 50% of the vote in the primary on March 2, a runoff will be held on April 13. Hutchison has previously discussed this possibility -- but this poll suggests that there's a chance that she has to work hard to get into the runoff itself.

From the pollster's analysis: "Perry is at 39% to 28% for Kay Bailey Hutchison and 24% for Medina. There are major splits within the race along ideological lines. Perry is at 42% with conservatives, and Medina is now outpolling Hutchison with them by a 25-23 margin. Hutchison cleans up with moderates, leading Perry 49-29, but unfortunately for her prospects they account for only 20% of GOP primary voters."

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Rick Perry

Poll: Perry Up 15 Over Hutchison In GOP Primary, Runoff Possible Thanks To Strong Third Candidate

Eric Kleefeld | February 2, 2010, 5:48PM

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX)

The new Rasmussen poll of Texas finds incumbent Gov. Rick Perry continuing to lead Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in the Republican gubernatorial primary. However, the leader in that race could end up remaining under 50 percent, and thus face a runoff, thanks to significant support for a third candidate.

The numbers: Perry 44%, Hutchison 29%, and Debra Medina, a nurse and conservative activist, at 16%. Two weeks ago, Perry was ahead by 43%-33%-12%. The pollster's analysis points out just how daunting the math is for Hutchison at this point: "Turnout is often difficult to project for primaries. However, for Hutchison to win with the current attitudes, she would need more than 50% of the primary voters to be politically moderate."

Hutchison pointed out recently that this race could be headed to a runoff. At the rate things are going, that could very well happen, which would extend the race from the March 2 primary all the way to the April 13 runoff. A big question is whether Medina can continue to have a high level of support -- and if Hutchison can stop her own political bleeding.