By Kevin Brennan - National Journals Hotline
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas With Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhursts set to enter the race this week and former Texas Solicitor Ted Cruz securing yet another high profile conservative endorsement a tough primary fight appears to be brewing in the Lone Star State Senate contest.
But where does that leave former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert? While Dewhurst and Cruz have dominated the headlines lately Leppert remains a factor in the race thanks to solid fundraising and his willingness to tap into his personal wealth -- in fact he finished June with more cash on hand than any other non-incumbent running for the Senate in the country.
And Leppert has no problem envisioning a place for himself in the race: to the right of the rest of the field on economic issues. The former CEO of one of the countrys largest construction companies Leppert has made tackling the countrys economic woes the focus on his Senate campaign. He argues that his business experience and time as the chief executive of one of the nations largest cities uniquely qualify him to understand and address the complexities of the current economic crisis.
Too often were judging success today by somebody walking in a room yelling and screaming and then walking out Leppert said in an interview with Hotline on Call. How many have actually lived through it and run a business and dealt with it?
Leppert hasnt been shy about staking out conservative stances on the issues. He was one of the first Senate candidates in the country to fully embrace House Budget Chair Paul Ryans budget proposal. In fact Lepperts only problem with Ryans plan was that it didnt go far enough. He said he wished Ryan had taken on social security reform as well as Medicare and Medicaid.
But some conservatives have painted Leppert as a moderate as a result of some of his positions and associations from his time running for and serving as Dallas mayor a non-partisan office. He was endorsed by the SEIU and met with Democrats and other left-leaning groups including ACORN and LGBT advocacy organizations during his time as mayor.
Leppert said those incidents do not taint his conservative record and merely reflect his willingness to work with those with opposing views. He said he did not cave in when the SEIU asked for pay and benefit increases for their members. And he explained that while he met with many of the citys liberal groups they often didnt like what he had to say.
Explaining away these perceived moments of moderation will be key to Lepperts chances of securing the Republican nomination. Dewhurst is also viewed by some as insufficiently conservative but the longtime lieutenant governor enters the race as the prohibitive favorite thanks to his wide name identification deep pockets and close ties with many of the states wealthy donors and political leaders. Cruz on the other hand has generated a considerable amount of buzz among national conservatives.
In order to compete Leppert knows he needs to introduce himself to more Texans.
We start with a very strong base in North Texas Leppert said. Clearly our challenge is to get awareness in other parts of the state.
His goal is to make it into a runoff for the GOP nomination assuming no candidate garners more than 50 percent of the vote in the primary. In a hypothetical match-up with Dewhurst in a runoff Leppert said he could cut into Dewhursts lead in name recognition. Thanks to recent changes in federal election law there would be more than two months in between the primary and runoff in 2012 giving voters more time to familiarize themselves with the last two candidates standing.
If Leppert manages to emerge as the nominee he is confident he will prevail in the general election. Despite a surge in the states Hispanic population Leppert said he does not think Democrats are in a position to win a statewide race next year. He said has not seen retired Army General Ricardo Sanchez the only declared Democratic candidate on the campaign trail and was unfamiliar with his political beliefs until he jumped into the race.
But for now Lepperts focus remains on courting the states conservative voters and communicating his message of fiscal responsibility. And he has already succeeded in convincing at least one voter that he is no moderate.
My wife says that Im the most conservative person she knows he said.
