Davis leads a fiery Democratic pep rally

State Sen. Wendy Davis didn’t say it will be easy.

But the Fort Worth Democrat believes she can beat the odds and win her unlikely bid to become Texas’ 48th governor.

“I am brave enough to believe in our tomorrow,” she told thousands of Democrats gathered at their state convention Friday night. “I am brave enough to believe in our children.

“I am brave enough to believe in the future of this great state.”

Often described as her party’s “rock star,” Davis put on a show Friday night, laying out her case for why she — and not Texas Attorney General and GOP gubernatorial nominee Greg Abbott — should head to the governor’s mansion next year.

Introduced by her daughters Amber and Dru, Davis, a former Fort Worth City Council member, formally accepted her party’s nomination and moved on to paint her chief opponent as a party insider who will put himself ahead of Texans’ best interests.

“Here’s the truth about Greg Abbott’s values: Greg Abbott is a career insider,” Davis said. “As a judge and as attorney general, Greg Abbott has proven over and over again that he is another insider, protecting and defending insiders who just aren’t working for you.

“As a judge and a lawyer, he’s spent his career defending insiders, protecting insiders, stacking the deck for insiders and making hardworking Texans pay the price,” she said. “He is not fit to be your governor.”

Together, she said, Texans who want a better future can pave a different path.

“We can come together to fight for our promise,” she said. “We can come together to summon our dreams.

“We can come together … uniting with common purpose and shared values to affirm our future, to build our tomorrow,” she said. “And when we do that, we will win.”

Abbott’s campaign took the opportunity Friday to fly an anti-Davis banner over the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas where the Democrats are meeting. The banner said, “Don’t California our Texas.”

“The sky is the limit when it comes to how far left Sen. Davis is willing to push her agenda,” said Matt Hirsch, communications director for Abbott.

“Given her support of ObamaCare and her plan to raise taxes on Texas families to pay for big government mandates, it’s no wonder Sen. Davis feels more at home with liberals in Hollywood than she does talking to Texas voters.

“While Sen. Davis’ policies may be well-received in deep blue states like California, Texans will continue to reject her out-of-touch agenda.”

The Democratic convention ends Saturday after delegates elect leaders and approve the platform and rules to guide the party.

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