AUSTIN, Texas — As the final days of the 2014 election cycle wind down, the Republican candidates running for statewide offices are feeling confident about their chances next Tuesday. Breitbart Texas reached out to the campaigns to hear their thoughts on the last days before Election Day.With every single Republican statewide candidate enjoying double digit leads over their Democrat opponents — as well as larger campaign war chests to protect those leads — these candidates are looking forward to sending a message to those who have sought to “turn Texas blue” that the Lone Star State is still proudly and deeply red.
Republican nominee for Governor Greg Abbott is not just beating his Democrat opponent Wendy Davis by double digits, he entered the last week of the election with a 13-to-1 cash-on-hand advantage. Still, the Attorney General is still taking nothing for granted. Starting last Wednesday, the Abbott campaign office has been open 24 hours a day “to ensure that Texans can get information about Greg Abbott and access voter resources at any time of day or night as we approach this historic election,” according to the campaign press release announcing the new office hours. Breitbart Texas has spoken to several Abbott campaign staffers and volunteers who have manned the office during the wee hours of the morning, and they were all upbeat about their work, determined to use every available minute remaining to secure more votes for their candidate. The campaign has had fun with their 24/7 office, posting tweets around the clock with silly poems and requests for donations to buy caffeine for their nocturnal crew:
Abbott’s Deputy Communications Director Amelia Chasse told Breitbart Texas that the campaign had made “unprecedented efforts to get out the vote in every corner of Texas, from traditional phone banks and block-walks across the state to deploying innovative tactics to reach voters online,” vowing that they would “continue to work around the clock until the polls close on Election Day.” Chasse added, “Greg Abbott has been crisscrossing the state since early voting began, visiting a total of 25 cities by Monday, talking directly to voters about his vision to build an even better future for Texas and encouraging every Texan to get out and vote.”
As Abbott himself told KVUE, “this is an election for the future of Texas, and we want to work around the clock to make sure that we connect with as many Texans as possible to get them out to the polls.” Regarding the polls that have shown him with a significant lead over Davis throughout this race, Abbott said, “I feel good, but you know, polls and things like that don’t matter. The only thing that matters is votes. And I would feel very, very good if we can get all the conservative voters in Texas to the polls, I feel confident about how things will turn out.”
Texas Senator John Cornyn’s campaign was similarly optimistic about his chances for reelection. Longshot Democrat challenger David Alameel failed to make a dent during their debate, and Cornyn’s “Keep It Red” project has been actively engaged across Texas registering voters, organizing grassroots volunteers, and helping act as a counter to Battleground Texas’ efforts to make Texas more competitive for Democrat candidates.
“Everything we’ve done over the past year has been leading up to this moment,” said Cornyn campaign manager Brendan Steinhauser, coming off of a week long statewide tour with the Senator. “We believe in the power of our conservative message, and on Tuesday, we will show the nation that it’s going to take a lot more than a battalion of Obama operatives to convince Texas voters to abandon the conservative candidates and policies that have turned Texas into the leading state in the country for job growth and opportunity.”
Dan Patrick, running for Lieutenant Governor, had arguably the toughest battle to get to Election Day among the Republican statewide candidates, after what his communications director Alejandro Garcia described as “a rough primary and runoff, followed by an exciting general election.” Garcia told Breitbart Texas that Patrick had “been working hard nonstop for over a year,” and was “ready for voters to share their opinions and show they want to keep Texas red.”
Ken Paxton, looking to follow Abbott’s footsteps to the Attorney General’s office, was similarly optimistic about Election Day. “The last fifteen months have been such a great experience, not just because I’ve had the chance to travel the state and meet so many Texans, but also because I have been able to witness first hand the energy, conviction, and determination of the grassroots,” Paxton told Breitbart Texas. “As we work to preserve Texas as a beacon of liberty for our nation, Angela and I are grateful for the support and prayers from volunteers across our state and we look forward to Tuesday night’s results.”
Land Commissioner candidate George P. Bush has logged a lot of miles on the campaign trail, and his social media feeds are full of posts and photos from events with voters around the state.
“George has completed a two-year campaign that took him to 180 Texas counties,” Bush senior strategist and spokesman Trey Newton told Breitbart Texas. “At every step, he has seen growing enthusiasm for his conservative message of lower taxes, less government and traditional values. Last week, George campaigned in the Rio Grande Valley and saw huge numbers of Hispanic voters who are disillusioned with the Obama era and are ready to be led by conservative government.”
Glenn Hegar, running for Comptroller, joins his fellow Republicans in both confidence and a determination to work hard through the close of Election Day. David White, Senior Adviser to the Hegar campaign, told Breitbart Texas, “We do feel confident going into the final days, but we’re taking nothing for granted…you gotta play until there’s no more time on the clock. We’ve worked really hard this fall to make sure we turn out all our supporters who want to keep Texas the number one job climate in America.”
Agriculture Commissioner candidate Sid Miller posted a note on his Facebook page thanking his supporters. “On Tuesday, Texans will go the polls and make decisions that will impact our children, our grandchildren, and future generations of Texans,” Miller wrote. “I am so honored that you have stood with me during this campaign.” Miller’s Democratic opponent, Jim Hogan, has made headlines for refusing to campaign at all, frustrating Texas Democrats, but Miller still told the Houston Chronicle that he is “running like I’m 20 points behind.”
No one will know the final results until Tuesday night, but for now, Texas’ statewide Republican candidates can count at least one vote: after Abbott voted early in Austin on Thursday, he told Breitbart Texas that he had voted a straight Republican ticket.
Watch KVUE’s interview with Greg Abbott:
Follow Sarah Rumpf on Twitter @rumpfshaker.
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