Today is primary election day for multiple state and national offices, including Texas governor.
The Rasmussen telephone survey results posted Wednesday indicated that of potential voters in the Republican primary, 48 percent would vote for incumbent Gov. Rick Perry, 27 percent favored U.S. Sen. Kay Baily Hutchison and 16 percent favored Debra Medina. Perry is seeking his election to his third term as governor.
Before being elected governor in 2000, class of 1972 Perry served in the U.S. Air Force from 1972 to 1977, two terms as the Texas Commissioner of Agriculture, four terms in the Texas House of Representatives and was elected lieutenant governor in 1998.
Perry is a social conservative said he was be the most pro-life governor Texas has ever had. He is against abortion and in favor of banning embryonic stem cell research and “protecting traditional marriage.”
At the Texas Rally for Life, Perry said, “I am so very proud of the well-deserved reputation Texas has as a pro-life state. And proud that those here today and people of conscience all across our state, have helped make Texas one of the safest states for the unborn.”
Perry said he is in favor of trying to maintain states’ rights and promoting fiscal conservatism. He supports strong border security.
“I deeply respect the Federal Border Patrol Agents who work with our local and state law enforcement in the border region, but they have consistently been shortchanged when it comes to the resources that they need to do their job,” said Perry in a visit with the Irving Police Association. “That is why Texas keeps stepping up with resources to fill that gap. I am proud of what Texas has done to bolster border security by putting more boots on the ground with the technology, coordination and support they need.”
According to the survey, Perry’s main competition within the Republican Party is Hutchison.
Hutchison obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas and a law degree from the UT Law School. She has been serving in the U.S. Senate since 1993.
Hutchison’s issues of interest include transportation, government reform and education.
"Our children’s education is the first line of offense in assuring a thriving economy in the future. We can achieve this by improving performance in the vitally important fields of science, technology, engineering and math while reducing the number of adults without high school diplomas," Hutchison said on her campaign Web site.
Hutchison said she is for protecting second amendment rights.
“I have always been a staunch defender of our right to bear arms and as Texas’ next governor, I will continue to stand up to those who seek to erode our Second Amendment rights," Hutchison said.
Medina, a small-town business owner, is quoted on her Web site as a “David against two political Goliaths.”
Eliminating the property tax is among Medina’s top issues.
“If Texans are to remain free from the ever-encroaching state, Big Brother, we must own our property; on that we must not compromise, and we must not surrender,” Medina said. “In order to protect against subservience to that growing state, we must eliminate property tax in Texas, and we must protect against abusive eminent domain seizures. We must be free to own that for which we labor.”
She said she wants to fight for securing the border and protecting gun ownership.
“Protecting freedom requires that the people be well armed. Government cannot protect us from violence; we must defend ourselves.” Medina said.
The two frontrunners in the Democrat primaries are Bill White and Farouk Shami.
White attended Harvard University and UT Law School. He has served as mayor of Houston and during his time in office, crime was the lowest in 25 years.
White has plans for stimulating the economy and recovering jobs.
“As a former businessman, I know what it takes to meet a payroll and make hard choices. In this economy, it's vital that the governor attract new businesses to the state, allow small businesses to grow, and ensure a skilled workforce through education and job training,” White said on his campaign Web site.
White said he is interested in cutting healthcare costs for families and ensuring more people are covered.
“Too many families, including those with and without health insurance, risk financial disaster because of the costs of the healthcare they need,” he said. “As governor I will work to increase access to affordable healthcare for Texas families and lower the cost for those currently insured.”
Farouk Shami, the founder and chairman of Farouk Systems Inc., became interested in politics during President Barak Obama’s run for president.
One of his focuses is energy and the environment, beginning with conservation and moving on to other methods.
“Taking small steps like these can make a major impact. However, with the population growth Texas is experiencing and with the number of new businesses moving to Texas, merely using less energy will not solve our problems. We must increase our capacity as well,” Shami said on his campaign Web site.
Shami is socially liberal and in favor of GLBT rights.
“All Texans deserve to be treated equally and discrimination has no place in Texas,” Shami said.
Students at A&M have different ideas about what the most important item on the political agenda should be. Michele Neffendorf, a junior university studies major, said education is the key.
“Education is important to me,” Neffendorf said. “I hope that people will pay attention to the candidates’ policies about it during the elections.”
Juan Baca, a senior ocean engineering major, said he wants the candidates to focus on the economy and job market.
“Economy is a concern for me, because sometime in the next year I’ll be trying to get a job, and hopefully I’ll be able to find one,” Baca said. “I know there are a lot of my friends that graduated and had high GPAs that can’t find a job. I even have a friend that got his masters degree and is also unemployed, so the economy is definitely a big thing.”
In order to secure the party’s nomination, the candidate must receive a majority of more than 50 percent of the votes in today’s primary. If that is not achieved, there will be a run-off election April 13.
The general elections for most seats, including governor, will be Nov. 2.
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