The word is out: Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis will run for governor.
News of Sen. Davis鈥� run, , shot around newsrooms yesterday; a formal announcement is expected next week. But it鈥檚 unlikely the story was an inadvertent leak from the Davis camp.
Ross Ramsey with KUT鈥檚 reporting partner The Texas Tribune says the announcement is part of a carefully crafted media narrative.
鈥淔irst she is considering it, and then she is talking to friends, and then people are encouraging her, and then we had a delay, and then we have the announcement that she will make an announcement next week, and now we鈥檝e got rumors that she鈥檚 going to announce that she鈥檚 going to run,鈥� Ramsey says. 鈥淎nd then when she announces, she鈥檒l announce. If you鈥檙e a candidate, it鈥檚 all free media and that鈥檚 kind of the way that the world of political gossip and news works.鈥�
Maybe every single step in the process isn鈥檛 that coordinated: to spend time with her father, who . But other signs 鈥� like she 鈥渉as big news,鈥� sent out the same day of the leak 鈥� look decidedly intentional.
St. Edward鈥檚 University political science professor Brian Smith says the leaks do two things: they build anticipation and, more importantly, help kick off the fundraising.
鈥淚f you announce early, people are going to start donating sooner,鈥� Smith says. 鈥淪o that way, she can make the announcement and then say, 鈥楲isten, I鈥檝e just raised X-million dollars.鈥欌��
Smith estimates Davis鈥� campaign will need some $40 million dollars to campaign against Texas attorney general Greg Abbott, who . 鈥淪o the sooner she starts fundraising, the better off she鈥檒l be,鈥� Smith says.
Davis was propelled into the national spotlight earlier this year after temporarily delayed adoption of new state laws restricting abortion. If Davis runs and wins, she would be the first Democrat elected to statewide office in Texas in 20 years.
As if one schedule, new details from the Davis camp continue to emerge. Davis will make the announcement Oct. 3 at Wiley G. Thomas Coliseum in Haltom City, Texas 鈥� 鈥渢he auditorium where she received her high school diploma in 1981.鈥�
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