Dallas Morning News Omits Tea Party Candidate In Cornyn Primary Coverage

TEXAS — The Dallas Morning News ran a headline titled: ” Despite Tea Party Grumbling, John Cornyn in Good Shape In GOP Primary.” The headline was accurate, as Senator John Cornyn is indeed doing well in the primary and will likely do well against his two Republican challengers, Rep. Steve Stockman and Tea Party favorite Dwayne Stovall. However, the Dallas Morning News article never mentioned the existence of Dwayne Stovall in their analysis.

The writer, Todd J. Gillman, wrote, “Stockman, R-Clear Lake, is the only challenger in the primary who has run statewide,” referring to Stockman’s failed bid for Texas Railroad Commissioner in 1998 — 16 years prior. 

The article’s omission irritated Stovall, who noted he has been all over the state of Texas campaigning, unlike Stockman, despite not having once run a primary campaign for a minor office.

“In the last month alone, between me and my campaign manager, we’ve visited Abilene, Addison, Alvin, Arp, Austin, Buffalo, Clint, College Station, Corpus Christi, Daingerfield, Denton, Fort Worth, Frisco, Georgetown, Houston, Huntsville, Kyle, Lubbock, McKinney, Nome, Odessa, Pearland, San Angelo, San Antonio, Sugar Land, Turkey, Wichita Falls, and Willis — towns spread across the great State of Texas,” Stovall told Breitbart News.

Gillman did not respond to a question from Breitbart News about why Stovall was not included in the piece.

Stovall noted out that Stockman has hardly campaigned in the State of Texas, making very few appearances. “It is Stockman who isn’t running a statewide campaign, and that is a fact,” said Stovall. “It seems the Dallas Morning News writer confuses media desire to cover the shortcomings of a candidate like Stockman with what the candidate’s campaign is actually doing. I am running a statewide campaign and I have more Tea Party endorsements.”

Stovall’s campaign manager, Brett Rogers, also provided Breitbart News with a list of over 1,000 campaign volunteers, in addition to 28 regional and county coordinators spread across the expansive state.

“I personally wrote the author of the article, Todd J. Gillman, immediately after he published his article on the Dallas Morning News. I informed him of his error. He never responded and he never corrected the article,” said Stovall. A copy of the email was provided to Breitbart News for verification.

Update: Gillman responded in an email explaining his omission of Stovall more clearly, noting that Stockman is a sitting Congressman, Stovall has lost smaller races before, and that Cornyn’s campaign has been paying closer attention to Stockman. 

“As a congressman, Stockman has a level of name recognition and a track record that others in this race simply lack,” Gillman said. “He is a much more prominent figure in Texas. He has won two U.S. House races, and has run statewide before. It’s also unusual and therefore noteworthy when an incumbent congressman challenges an incumbent senator.”

Gillman also noted that previous stories of his had covered Stovall. 

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