Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Texas State Senator Wendy Davis, a former media darling who could do no wrong, has lost most of her support following a weak campaign and crushing loss in the state’s gubernatorial race. Her loss, however, did earn her one award: Texas Monthly’s “Bum Steer of the Year.”
“Nothing, and we mean nothing, could match the train wreck that was Wendy Davis, Battleground Texas, and the Democrats,” TM wrote.
Davis became a Democratic hero overnight following an 11 hour abortion filibuster last year.
She quickly self-destructed, however, during her bid to become Texas governor. She largely ran a campaign fraught with un-truths, negativity, and out-of-state funding.
Despite earning more national attention than any other Texas Democrat in recent years, she earned significantly fewer votes than Democratic Houston Mayor Bill White, who ran for Texas Governor in 2010. Davis even appeared turned off constituents in her own district — her seat in the Texas Senate was won by Tea Party favorite Konni Burton.
TM wrote, “Did anyone think that Davis, after all the national exposure and all the money that flowed into her coffers, would be throttled so badly by Republican Greg Abbott in her race to become governor? In the end, she lost by more percentage points than Tony Sanchez did in 2002. And she won 270,499 fewer votes than Bill White did in 2010 in his doomed effort against Perry. It’s not that the Democrats underperformed. It’s that the party that hasn’t won a statewide race since 1994 actually dug itself an even deeper hole! “
The article starkly contrasts another cover piece in TM last year, in which Davis was portrayed as a gallant, inspiring Texas politician.
Follow Kristin Tate on Twitter @KristinBTate.
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