With a day to go until the Republican primary runoff for Texas' Senate seat, a Tea Party group is attacking one of the hopefuls, claiming he does not have support from the group.
The Tea Party Express sent a letter Monday afternoon to Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, attacking him for recent claims of being the conservative candidate in the race and being close to the Tea Party. Dewhurst is facing off against former Texas Solicitor General Tea Cruz, a Tea Party favorite, in Tuesday's runoff.
The letter, which was signed by more than 50 Tea Party leaders across the state, said that Dewhurst's 10-year tenure as lieutenant governor, along with his previous four years as state land commissioner, place him in the same boat as the Washington insiders that the Tea Party group has spoken out against.
Your performance in Austin is identical to the “go along to get along” establishment political culture in Washington. This behavior has led to a nearly $16-trillion-dollar national debt, infringement on our liberties, and the erosion of the American Dream. We need a U.S. Senator that is a bold leader and a proven conservative, and that is Ted Cruz.
It is obvious that your recent tea party posturing is just a desperate attempt to trick voters in the closing hours of this election. Though you are right to recognize that the tea party will be the deciding factor in this election, our support is not with you. You have failed to attract the support of this grassroots movement because of your record as Lieutenant Governor.
Dewhurst -- who is trailing Cruz by 10 points in the latest poll -- has tried to stress his conservative record during his career in state government and his ties to Gov. Rick Perry (R).
Dewhurst told the Courier of Montgomery County last week that he was not focused on the Tea Party during his Senate bid. Cruz is touting his Tea Party support, along with endorsements from Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and Sarah Palin. The GOP runoff victor will face off against former state Rep. Paul Sadler (D) in November for the seat of retiring Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R).
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