Bill White Announces He Will Run For Governor of Texas

Bill White, Democratic Mayor of Houston, announced his candidacy for Governor of Texas, in the 2010 election, earlier this week. A popular figure in Texas, he appears by all accounts to be an unusually strong candidate, whose candidacy has given Democrats in Texas new hope.

Recruited by Democratic leaders, White has proven his quality as a challenger by winning his last two mayoral elections by a large margin. His recognition immediately makes him stand out over the other Democratic candidates, a singer, and "hair-products magnate" who is new to politics. His strength as a challenger is also evident in the fact that he has already managed to raise 6.5 million dollars.

Running in a traditionally Republican state against a popular incumbent pressing for a third term, White's odds of winning are admittedly not high. However, his emergence, as a high quality Democratic candidate, in a a Republican state, and an election year that will likely be dominated by Republican wins is a sign of hope for Democrats. It suggests the Democrats may have a legitimate chance at winning. His candidacy has reportedly even excited Democratic contributors and fund-raisers.

White's announcement is a good example of how the Gubernatorial elections seem to follow a similar pattern as Congressional elections. The declaration of a high quality challenger changes the political environment, and inspires contibutors to give, when they otherwise wouldn't. This in turn, increases the challenger's ability to be a more prominent challenger. However, as in Congressional elections, this cycle begins long before the actual election, forcing, the many key players, including potential challengers and contributors, to make decisions based on a political environment that may (and likely will) change by election day. The decisions in turn, appear to further shape the political environment, creating a complicated web of speculation, cause and effect.

The New York Times coverage of this article is also of note as it highlights the role of elite media in the primary process. The NYT's approving review of White singles him out early as the Democratic front-runner in the upcoming election. Publicity in a highly regarded national paper, will undoubtedly help the Houston mayor's bid for Governor by introducing him to a wider audience and lending his candidacy substantial credibility.