I knew this was coming but Bonnie Parker made it official and filed to run against Rep. Sarah Davis in the 2014 Republican Primary for State Representative District 134. And as anyone could predict, her main issue is being Pro-Life.
Stand with Bonnie. Stand for Life.
Bonnie Parker is the Pro-Life Candidate.
Summary of Texas’ New Abortion Law
1) An elective abortion may no longer be performed at or after twenty weeks of gestation unless the procedure is performed to protect the physical health of the mother or the fetus is so seriously deformed that it will not survive after birth.
2) Physicians performing abortions must have admitting privileges at a hospital within thirty miles of his or her office.
3) Clinics which provide abortions must meet the same standards as an ambulatory surgical center. Procedures performed by such centers include: colonoscopy, pain management, knee, shoulder, eye and spine surgeries.
4) Medicine intended to induce abortions must be administered by a license physician according to FDA rules. He or she must examine the patient before prescribing such medication and make a reasonable attempt to arrange a follow up visit to insure the abortion was complete and without complications.
I suppose that Ms. Parker thinks that everyone is aware that Rep. Davis was the only Republican to vote against HB2 this year because she doesn’t mention it, yet. Rest assured, people in that district will be very familiar with that vote before this is over.
This primary election might be closer than people think. Davis beat Parker in 2010 54.5% to 45.5%. While the percentage of victory seems high, in terms of actual votes it was only 736. And people might not know that Parker was out of the country on a mission trip in Africa for most of the primary season that year.
In addition, Michael Quinn Sullivan and Empower Texans have been sending mailers into 134 talking about Rep. Davis’ relatively liberal voting record on fiscal issues, as well as frequently attacking her.
The Houston-led effort began with fiscal-moderate/social-liberal State Rep. Sarah Davis (R-Houston). Many might remember Rep. Davis as the only Republican who sided with the liberal Democrats in fighting against pro-life legislation this summer.
Or you might remember her for voting to increase legislators’ pensions, legitimize the ObamaCare navigators, hike state spending 24 percent, and keep corporate-cronyism funded instead of putting money into tax relief.
Suffice it to say, no one remembers her as a conservative.
All the energy spent fretting about Battleground Texas is for naught if we’re stuck with “Republicans” like Sarah Davis (supported by the corporate-crony lobby) working in Austin to help Democrats impose liberal legislation on the state.
And who can forget Harris Country Republican Party Chair Jared Woodfill’s attack on her?
This race has the potential to very, very interesting.
This is a race that is all about turnout. 134 is a bunch of nouveau riche who are NOT socially conservative. The majority of the district opposes HB2, and I would reckon a strong majority of consistent Republicans in the district oppose it as well (Bellaire, West U, etc). Now, whether a majority of Republican primary voters support the legislation, that is the deciding question.
Rep. Davis is perfect for her district. While I disagree with her vote on HB2 it is a stretch to say that she is a social liberal. She is for modest restrictions on abortion including banning abortion after 20 weeks. She is also very pro-second amendment. A social moderate is a better term to describe her stances.
Most of the increased spending Quinn Sullivan has slammed Rep. Davis for is in comparison to the 2010 budget at the height of the fiscal crisis when the budget was severely cut. In 2010 we did not even fund schools to comparatively keep up with the growth in student population. Funding for education and several other programs that were cut the previous session was restored. Its a real stretch in my opinion to call that being fiscally liberal. She has spent most of last session working to redirect fees to be appropriated for the purposes which they were collected for, something that has not happened to date. Her biggest reason for entering the race originally in 2010 was her opposition to the ACA.
Rep. Davis will win and with good reason. She legitimately tries her best to represent her district and vote for what she sees as the right thing to do.
Bonnie and the Jarred wing of the party will get a nasty little surprise when Sarah wins this primary by double digits. They underestimate how popular Sarah is in this district and how hard we will all work to keep her.
Michael Quinn Sullivan and Empower Texans are fast losing their credibility because they have sold out to the religious right and are no longer just about the fiscal conservatism which made them meaningful.
You’ve accurately described one of the reasons I became a recovering republican, Dave.
Over the last two decades, the concept of a socially reasonable/realistic ‘big tent party’ has been overshadowed by a big tent revival, as evidenced by the last few state party platforms.
you seem bothered that not all women want to kill babies.. yeah yeah you can say that it doesnt belong in politics all you want, but the fact is, it IS a political matter to this day. the left campaigns on their social issues – why do you expect US not to?
Republicans need to stop eating their own and acting like the Democrats of old. These right-wing purity efforts are like the 1968 Democratic National Convention but spread out over multiple election cycles. The simple reality is that Sarah Davis is a strong Fiscally Conservative voice in Austin and is perfect for her district. There is no way Bonnie Parker is going to win the general election in HD 134. And if by some fluke she did, I can guarantee that she won’t hold the seat in ’16 and beyond. In 2012, the Democrats spent massive amounts of money attacking Sarah Davis in what was supposed to be a very close race. Instead, Sarah Davis won decisively. The Democrats are afraid to go up against Sarah Davis again because it would be a waste of time and money, but trust me, they are salivating at the prospect of going up against Bonnie Parker and her one-issue crusade. A vote for Bonnie Parker is a vote for a Democratic State Representative. Don’t let the Liberals take back HD 134. Let’s keep Sarah Davis.
Haha you put so much faith in the Democrats to be competent and effective. As a Texas liberal, I am flattered someone thinks we are that organized and otherwise non-lazy.
My support for Sarah Davis is longstanding. The district leans R but is not a lock for us. My sense is that Parker or a similar Republican would lose the district in the general election. The district is a complex mix of Heights, West End, Montrose, River Oaks, Upper Kirby, Rice Village, West U, Bellaire, and Galleria area voters.
What else does Bonnie bring?
Where is Sarah on right to personal arms, weaning Texas off the property tax scheme, ending local gov use of tif/tirz finance, putting tax fed workers on defined contri pensions or ending tax fed worker pensions completely?
Just wondering…