.Wendy Davis went back to Washington D.C. on Monday, where the abortion rights filibusterer and Texas State congresswoman hinted again that she might run for governor in 2014. Davis, who has used her newfound fame to focus on criticism of the state of Texas' leadership in general, officially indicated that she's considering one of just two moves for the next round of elections:
“I can say with absolute certainty that I will run for one of two offices: my state senate seat or for the governor,” she said after a luncheon at the National Press Club, adding “I think you can’t let too much more time get away because it’s a big race. I gotta get my final decision made soon.” The Texas Tribune estimates that we'll know about Davis's plans by Labor Day. But wait, there's more. By omission, Davis left the door open to talk of a possible Clinton/Davis ticket for 2016, because as of the summer of 2013, speculation on the next presidential race isn't even funny anymore. "We'll have to find out whether Hillary is planning to run for president first," she said in response to a question. That level of speculation comes with a corresponding level of attention:
Woman next to her rocks. RT @evanmcsan: Wendy Davis scrum in DC is uncommon attn for a state senator pic.twitter.com/cAYLcg1TW3
— The Fix (@TheFix) August 5, 2013
As we've explained before, Davis would probably end up challenging Republican Texas attorney general Greg Abbott for Rick Perry's job. Perry is stepping aside as Governor at the end of his current term, maybe for another shot at the presidency. Abbott launched his campaign days after Perry's retirement announcement. Davis, as indicated in her speech today, would frame herself as a change to Texas politics across the board: "People do feel we need a change from the very fractured, very partisan leadership we’re seeing in Texas right now," Davis said today. But while Davis's jump into the national spotlight has spawned a jump in her fundraising reach, it's not clear yet whether that would actually translate to big votes down the line.
While Davis's Texas plans are still up in the air, it's obvious that D.C. is pretty interested in what she'll do next. In July, the state senator held a sold-out D.C. fundraiser featuring two Davis-themed cocktails and a bunch of Texas-based praise for the state politician. Meanwhile, back home, some Texas state Republicans think that Davis should pay for the entire second special session called by Gov. Rick Perry after the state's new, restrictive abortion law failed to pass, thanks to the filibuster that made her famous.