After Texas State Senator and filibustering hero Wendy Davis threw her hat into the ring for the Texas governorship, her colleague Leticia Van de Putte, who famously asked, "At what point must a female senator raise her hand or her voice to be recognized over the male colleagues in the room?", has formally launched her campaign for lieutenant governor.
The first Democrat and first woman to jump into the race for the state's No. 2 post next year, Van de Putte brings a solid record as a legislator for the past 23 years, including the last 14 years in the Senate.Good luck, ladies! And good look, Texas progressives! I HOPE YOU WIN!!!
Texas Democrats see her pairing with gubernatorial hopeful Wendy Davis of Fort Worth to give the party its best shot in years of recapturing the top two leadership posts in the state.
Davis welcomed Van de Putte's candidacy Saturday, calling her an outstanding choice for the job.
Still, like Davis, Van de Putte faces an uphill battle if she secures her party's nomination. Democrats have not won a statewide race in Texas since 1994.
Speaking to a boisterous rally of her supporters at San Antonio College on Saturday, Van de Putte acknowledged that it will be a tough race, as many think she can't win because Texas is now a red state.
But she said she is compelled to seek the office because longtime Republican leaders have turned their backs on education, health care, transportation and other pressing needs of the state.
"Funding for public schools has been cut by billions," she said. "Class sizes have swelled, and too often, we're losing our best teachers. Texas is investing less in our schoolchildren than almost any other state. It's no coincidence that we're last in the nation in the percentage of adults with a high school diploma.
She also accused Republicans of depriving women of health care options and job protections.
"I'll fight to ensure that women will never again be treated the way we've been treated by our own government lately," she said.
