The Weekly Standard: Races to Watch: Texas Senate Primary

April 2, 2012

By Michael Warren

Texas Republican David Dewhurst has been the leading candidate to replace retiring senator Kay Bailey Hutchison for the last year. Dewhurst, a wealthy Houston-born businessman who served in the Air Force and CIA, has been lieutenant governor since 2003, making him second only to governor Rick Perry in influence and name recognition among statewide Republicans.

Dewhurst’s chief primary opponent is former state solicitor general Ted Cruz. (Dallas mayor Tom Leppert, also a wealthy businessman, and former professional football player and sports announcer Craig James are also in contention, though they’ve both sat at the bottom of most polls.)

But Cruz, a darling of the conservative movement who is running to Dewhurst’s right, is rising. Cruz has consistently moved up in the polls, and a recent one from the University of Texas and the Texas Tribuneshows Dewhurst with only an 11-point lead over Cruz, 38 percent to 27 percent.