Long dismissed as an easy win for the GOP, the Texas Comptroller’s race is starting to heat up faster than August. Here’s the story from the Dallas Morning News…
Democratic comptroller nominee Mike Collier says GOP rival Glenn Hegar bragged to a tea party interviewer last year that he was proud of the Legislature’s 2011 budget cuts to public schools.
Collier, who released a video Friday to back up his claims, said it’s “embarrassing and unacceptable” that Hegar “takes pride in cutting education.”
“Hegar does not share our values, and he poses a profound threat to something Texans have held dear since our founding, … a great educational system,” said Collier, a Houston businessman.
Hegar spokesman David White called Collier’s 40-second Web video “a distortion.”
Though Hegar, a state senator from Katy, joined other Republicans in approving $5.4 billion in cuts to schools in the 2011 Legislature, he “believes in adequately funding our education system,” White said.
The clash comes less than 90 days before the election as each tries to gain an edge in the race for the low-profile job as comptroller, the state’s chief financial officer.
The Montgomery County Tea Party posted video of its interview with Hegar on its website late last year. At the time, Hegar faced three other Republicans for the party’s nomination to succeed Susan Combs, who is stepping down.
The new video is the latest move in an aggressive campaign by Collier, evidenced by a slew of television ad buys and an impressive social media presence. The Houston businessman has attacked Hegar on his plan to explode sales taxes and a lack of qualifications to even be Comptroller. Collier has also made several calls to debate Hegar, and even started an online petition to rally the cause, but as yet, Hegar has refused to schedule any debates.
Mike Collier is proving that he has what it takes to win the 2014 election, and more Texas Democrats need to follow suit. Though some candidates may not have a personal fortune to spend on TV ads, there are other ways to run an aggressive campaign and make lots of noise. Half the battle in this state is just to get enough name ID to voters so they’ll even know to look for you on the ballot. Mike “the watchdog” Collier is doing a fantastic job at that as well. For those hoping that a Democrat will break Texas’ “grand ole ceiling” and get elected statewide this year, the Comptroller’s race is one to watch. If Collier can building momentum and force Hegar on to the debate stage, he may well win in November.
See Bay Area Houston for more.