Tonight at 8, the four Republicans running for lieutenant governor will meet at 四虎影院 studios i
With primary competition in the governor鈥檚 race, and Gov. Rick Perry not running for reelection, the lieutenant governor鈥檚 contest is taking on added importance in the March 4 primary.
In some states, the lieutenant governor is mostly a second banana to the governor, with little influence in shaping laws. But in Texas, the makes important committee and board appointments, leads the legislative budget board, which makes big money decisions, and is in charge of the Texas Senate.
Jim Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin, says an effective lieutenant governor can exercise a 鈥渟tranglehold鈥� over legislation, deciding which bills pass and which ones never reach the floor for a vote.
With Gov. Perry leaving the executive office after 14 years, Henson says the candidate elected lieutenant governor this year may end up being as powerful as Perry鈥檚 successor.
鈥淭he next governor will not have the seniority advantages if you will in the bureaucracy that Gov. Perry has accumulated," Henson said. "So there will be a chance for the lieutenant governor to assert what we think of as the more traditionally powerful role of lieutenant governor. It鈥檚 going to matter a lot."
Henson says what seems to matter right now to the Republican candidates is capturing the attention of the party鈥檚 most conservative voters.
In more than 20 community debates, the four candidates -- Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, the incumbent; State Sen. Dan Patrick; Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson; and Commissioner of Agriculture Todd Staples -- have tried to out-conservative each other as they鈥檝e tangled over pivotal party issues, including their pro-life agendas, illegal immigration, spending cuts and how to thwart the Democrats鈥� agenda.
With four competitive elected officials going head-to-head it鈥檚 unlikely any one of them will win the March 4 GOP nomination on the first round. That鈥檚 why Henson expects tonight鈥檚 四虎影院 debate being broadcast in all of the state鈥檚 TV markets to include some sucker punches.
鈥淚 think what you have is the candidates looking at each other and trying to figure out who they need to attack to ensure they make the runoff,鈥� he said.
What Henson hopes is that voters take a long look at the four contenders as they stand side-by-side, answering the same questions about policy and leadership.
Henson says he鈥檒l be watching for who can project more than ambition and one-upsmanship. He expects voters to react favorably to the candidate who most persuasively explains why he can use the enormous powers available to the lieutenant governor to move Texas forward.
airs live tonight at 8 on 四虎影院-13, 四虎影院 90.1 FM and at keranews.org. 四虎影院 will be live-blogging. You can tweet your questions for the candidates to @keranews using the hashtag #texasdebates.
Study up on the candidates
Here's some on the candidates.
Here's a listing of some stories related to the four candidates -- stories mostly from 四虎影院, NPR or KUT, Austin's public radio station:
- Todd Staples, A Lieutenant Governor Candidate,
Lieutenant Governor Candidates Compete For Title:
Wendy Davis Filibuster
Patterson Trails In Fundraising,
In Grapevine, Dewhurst Calls For
How To Master The
G.P. Bush Prepares to Enter Office as
GOP Candidate Accuses Houston Mayor Of
Dewhurst:
Allen Police Say
Texas Primary Primer: For John Cornyn, A Stockman Surprise --
From 2012:
Check out the candidates' websites:
