Tom Leppert’s pitch was that when he became the mayor of Dallas, the biggest problem was crime, and he brought it down by 31%. “I’ve been there, I’ve done it.” Good talking point, but not what is uppermost in the minds of primary voters.

Craig James kept saying that he lived on “Real Street.” In a comment that I presume was leveled at Dewhurst, he said, “I don’t trust anyone who has been a politician.”

Ted Cruz had the most enthusiastic following. He staked out a position on the far right. “When the next senator gets to Washington, there is going to be pressure to compromise on Obamacare. I’ll throw my body in front of the train to stop it.” Cruz also promised to co-sponsor Ron Paul’s bill to audit the Federal Reserve Bank. “There is no reserve,” he said, “and it’s not a bank.”

Glenn Addison, a school board member from Magnolia, handled himself pretty well. He couldn’t resist going after the Federal Reserve too, calling it an “outrageous, outlandish, unconstitutional institution.”

And David Dewhurst, ever the wonk, attempted to explain that the Fed uses its balance sheet to buy bonds. I had no idea what he was talking about. His main argument was, “Some of us have led and balanced every single budget.” It’s true, but in Texas, the budget has to balance or the comptroller cannot certify that it meets our pay-as-you-go requirement.

To call this a debate is something of a misnomer. The candidates got to make opening and closing remarks, and they answered some broad questions from moderator Michael Quinn Sullivan. I think the format hurt Leppert the most. He really didn’t have a lot of chances to deal in issues. Cruz got in the best shot when he asked, “Who do you trust?” — the point being, if you are a conservative, it shouldn’t be Dewhurst.

James sounded more like a football coach than a politician. He talked about how he was given athletic talent and how hard he had worked to improve himself. “I was driven to succeed, it didn’t just come to me.” Then he tried to crack a joke, but it fell flat: “I won’t go with three points because I might forget the third one.” “The United States gave a guy like me who grew up in an apartment a chance. I was driven to excel, it didn’t just come to me. I coached my kids, I raised a family, now it’s time for me to become a public servant.” It may be unfair to blame James for being an amateur in a pro’s game, but he talked too much and strayed too far off topic.

Even Addison was more comfortable talking about issues than James. He was really quite engaging for someone who hasn’t spent a lot of time in the public eye.

If I had to name a winner, it would be the Dew. He was the favorite going in, and nothing changed the expectations. Cruz had an opportunity to hit him for not being a “real” conservative but the shot missed the target. In the end, I see no reason to change my belief that Dewhurst is going to win this race. He has the edge in money and in name identification. The fact that it is now a five-candidate race does raise issues for Dewhurst, because the bigger the field, the greater the likehood of a runoff. The worry for Dewhurst is a runoff between him and Cruz, in which conservative voters come out to vote but the mainstream Republicans stay disengaged.

Tagged: Craig James, david dewhurst, Glenn Addison, Ted Cruz, tom leppert, U.S. Senate

Is it even worth writing about? Dewhurst has the money and the name I.D. Tom Leppert has neither. Cruz has a great reputation as a lawyer but little else. Dewhurst has already driven most of the hopefuls out of the race and into contests for Congress–the worst job in American politics. He will win in November, then will wait to see whether the Republicans win nationally before deciding whether to take the Senate seat or, if Perry gets a Washington gig (prez, veep, cabinet), he can decline to be seated and elect to move up to governor if Perry vacates. The only way Dewhurst loses is if someone with more money and better conservative credentials than he has gets into the race. And that would be …. who? Give me some names. Who can beat Dewhurst?

I have friends in the Dewhurst camp who think he will be miserable as a senator. Junior to Cornyn? Ugh. No love lost there. Dewhurst hates living by a schedule. I followed Cornyn around for a couple of days in 07. Every minute of the day was planned. A video conferences with a business group in the Valley. A Republican leadership meeting. Fifteen minutes for me to interview him. A short staff meeting. And what is your reward for being a senator? A second-rate committee assignment for a freshman and a national television gig now and then. Wait your turn for a subcommittee chairmanship. Dewhurst is used to being the boss. Freshman senators can’t be the boss of anything. And, you know, he doesn’t have a great political personality. He’s not the hale fellow, well met type. On the other hand, sticking around as light guv isn’t a good career move either. The Texas Senate has had it with him. He’d better hope that Perry leaves — but he has been hoping for that since 2003.

Tagged: david dewhurst, senate race, Ted Cruz, tom leppert

A colleague in Dallas reports that Leppert had a daylong meeting with the Scott Howell firm, and fundraiser Carol Reed was present as well. This sounds serious. Suggestion: Figure out a response for the certain-to-be-asked question: Why did you change your mind when you said that mayor of Dallas was the only office you were interested in? Some friendly advice: Try to give a better answer than Hutchison has offered about why she came back to Texas to challenge Perry instead of staying in the Senate.

Tagged: carol reed, tom leppert

Back in July, the Dallas Observer broke the news that mayor Tom Leppert was considering joining the free-for-all that would be the race to fill the seat that Kay Bailey Hutchison has said she will vacate, although she has appeared to back away somewhat from that pronouncement. To this point I have ignored Leppert’s prospects, as the history of mayors in statewide races is not in his favor. The most recent to try were Ron Kirk (Dallas) and Kirk Watson (Austin) in 2002, Kirk #1 losing to John Cornyn in the race to succeed Phil Gramm in the U.S. Senate, and Kirk #2 losing to Greg Abbott in the race for attorney general.

Still, it is not too far-fetched to envision a runoff between Leppert and Bill White, the mayors of the two largest cities in the state, with bases in the two largest media markets as well. Of course, Perry will have a lot to say about that, and David Dewhurst may as well. Both Leppert and White have deep pockets, but it remains to be seen how deep they are willing to reach.

Tagged: bill white, tom leppert