LAREDO, TEXAS–Texas Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Wendy Davis woke to some unsettling numbers along the Texas/Mexico border today. Of the 14 counties along the Rio Grande, Davis lost seven–including heavily Hispanic Webb and Hidalgo Counties. Davis Challenger Reynaldo “Ray” Madrigal’s prediction may have come true to an extent–Wendy has a pro-life Catholic problem and may not hold the support of motivated Latino voters by default.
Based on unofficial vote tallies by county, Davis lost to Madrigal by substantial gaps in Webb, Zapata, Starr and Hidalgo Counties while managing to fall flat in three lesser populated jurisdictions along the western portion of the border.
Madrigal argued in February, “The majority of Texans are tired of Republicans being in office for 16 years and they don’t see Wendy Davis as a leader, especially Catholics,” to a Lubbock newspaper. “But it’s just not Catholics, it is Baptists and people of other religions. They don’t support abortion, and Wendy Davis is an abortion candidate.”
According to campaign finance filings with the Texas Ethics Commission, Madrigal claimed $0 in contributions or expenditures in January 2014. In January and February, Davis spent over $26,000.
Texas’ new voter ID law did not appear to be a problem in southern border counties as well. Webb County Elections Administrator Oscar Villarreal touted his 95% Hispanic electorate’s increased voter turnout compared to 2010. Webb, a county with a 30.6 poverty rate, demonstrates a potential hole in the Holder Justice Department’s case that Texas’ voter ID law harms economically vulnerable voters.
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