Wendy Davis Replaces Campaign Manager as Bid for Governor Struggles

Wendy Davis is replacing her campaign manager as her bid to become Texas’ next governor is suffering. 

According to the Associated Press (AP), Davis announced on Wednesday that her campaign has struggled against Greg Abbott, the Republican gubernatorial candidate who is leading in the race. 

Davis apparently said that Chris Turner, a democrat Texas Rep. from Arlington, would be taking the place of her current campaign manager Karin Johanson. 

Johanson is an experienced, top-ranking Democratic strategist, according to the AP. Turner, however, has plenty experience of his own and was U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards’ campaign manager. 

Davis reportedly said in a statement, “After building one of the most competitive campaign organizations Texas has seen in decades, Karin Johanson has let me know that she believes it’s time to hand off the reins of the campaign management for our final push toward election day. Together, we knew immediately the right partner for the rest of this journey toward our victory on Election Day: Chris Turner.”

Politico reported that Johanson sent an email to Davis’ staff on Wednesday that said, “If you are a betting person, put your money on Wendy. Now I’m going to go home and spend some time this summer with my 90-year old father and lose the pounds I gained from eating tacos for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But even from the sidelines I will still #StandWithWendy.”

A source “close to the campaign” told Politico that Turner was initially Davis’ first choice for campaign manager. The source said, “Wendy got the benefit of Karin’s skill and experience in creating a strong structure and will now benefit from Chris’ practical skills, experience and talent in understanding and winning tough races in Texas.”

Matt Hirsch, an Abbott spokesperson, told Breitbart Texas, “The steady stream of campaign shakeups and reboot attempts we’ve seen from Sen. Davis’ operation indicates one thing – a candidate who is out of touch with Texans and is looking for external fixes to an internal problem.”

Breitbart Texas’ calls to Davis’ campaign were not immediately returned. 

Davis’ campaign “shakeup” came only days after Abbott called her “toxic” in front of a large crowd at the Texas GOP convention in Fort Worth. 

Abbott said, “My opponent’s record is toxic to Texas…Her prescription for Texas is more government, my prescription is more freedom. You deserve a governor who will fight for that freedom, for your freedom, and who will fight for real Texas values. This election is about two very different visions for Texas.”

Follow Kristin Tate on Twitter @KristinBTate.