Bill White Wins Democratic Primary For Texas Governor's Race

AUSTIN, Texas (AP)- Former Houston Mayor Bill White defeated six other candidates Tuesday to become the Democratic nominee for Texas governor, giving the party its best hope in years at winning the chief executive post.

White, a well-funded businessman who made a name for himself with his city's response to the Hurricane Katrina evacuation, will face the winner of the Republican primary in the November general election.

White had nearly 76 percent of the vote with a handful of precincts reporting to defeat wealthy Houston hair-care magnate Farouk Shami and five other lesser-known candidates.
White said he didn't feel at a disadvantage with so much attention paid to the Republicans and spent the time listening to voters. He aired television ads introducing himself to a statewide audience and generally kept his campaign on a positive path.

Perry and Hutchison, meanwhile, frequently traded barbs. Perry pushed an anti-Washington theme, casting Hutchinson as part of a bid-spending crowd in the nation's capital. Hutchison accused Perry of becoming arrogant, allowing cronies to invade state government and ignoring looming state problems.

Republicans have held the governorship since George W. Bush took over in 1995 after defeating Democrat Ann Richards. Perry ascended to governor from lieutenant governor in December 2000, when Bush resigned to become president, and has held the office ever since.

Democrats have been looking for an avenue back into statewide power, and many see White as that chance with his money to spend on a big race and his power base in Houston, the state's largest city.

Businessman Tom Schieffer dropped out of the Democratic race for governor last fall and threw his support behind White, who switched from running for U.S. Senate.
Hutchison had said she would leave the Senate by the end of 2009 to concentrate on the governor's race, but she hasn't yet resigned. She said she had to stay and fight the Democrats' health care plan.

"We have fought valiantly for our principles, but we did not win," she said.

Perry, Texas' longest-serving governor, had 52 percent of the vote compared to Hutchinson's 31 percent, with nearly half of precincts reporting. GOP party activist Debra Medina, a favorite among many tea party voters, had about 18 percent.

Perry, who's seeking a third full term in office, spent months battering Hutchison with an anti-Washington message and accused her of being part of a big-spending crowd in the nation's capital. Hutchison countered by saying Perry was trying to stay in office too long, and had allowed arrogance and cronyism to creep into state government.

All three candidates cast themselves as the true conservative. But the contest shaped up to become a bout between Perry and Hutchison in a clash unlike any GOP primary the state has seen since Republicans began taking over state government in the 1990s with the help of George W. Bush.

Ex-Houston Mayor Bill White defeated Houston hair care magnate Farouk Shami and five others on Tuesday to win the Democratic nomination for governor.

Perry, a darling of the social conservatives who reliably show up and vote in Texas Republican primaries, forcefully pushed the anti-Washington theme that Hutchison acknowledged worked against her in the current political environment.

Both Perry and Hutchison tried to show just how Texan they were: They donned cowboy hats and western wear during appearances, and declared their fierce devotion to the Lone Star State.

Hutchison initially said she would step down from the Senate by the end of 2009 and focus full time on her run for governor. But she later changed her mind and said she had to stay in Washington, D.C., to battle President Barack Obama and the Democrats on health care. Her continued presence in Washington gave Perry more ammunition to cast her as a congressional insider.

Medina appeared to be building steam in January and part of February, but may have suffered a setback when in response to a question from nationally syndicated radio talk show host Glenn Beck she said there were "some very good arguments" that the U.S. was involved in the 2001 attacks that took down the World Trade Center and killed some 3,000 people.

She later released a statement saying she didn't believe the government played a role in the attacks. But some voters on the campaign trail at Hutchison and Perry events said they switched their support from Medina because of the remarks.