When Houston entrepreneur Andrew White entered the Democratic race for governor, he was seen as an underdog. Top state party leaders leaned heavily toward his main rival for the nomination, former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez. But in recent weeks, experts say the momentum has shifted. And White says he knows why.
“The question that Democratic primary voters are asking themselves at the end of the day is, ‘Which candidate can beat Greg Abbott?’” says White. “That candidate is somebody who can raise money.”
White raised $1.1 million dollars in January, including a million-dollar loan he made his own campaign. That not only dwarfs Valdez’s efforts – its more than all his rivals for the Democratic nomination put together.
White also says his business experience makes him the Democrats’ best hope to compete against Abbott, with his statewide machine and his massive war chest. “I know how to build a team,” he says. “And I know how to compete against multi-billion-dollar companies, ′cause I did that, and I did it successfully.”
