Rice political scientists available to comment on Davis’ run for Texas governor

Rice University
Office of Public Affairs / News & Media Relations

David Ruth
713-348-6327
david@rice.edu

Amy Hodges
713-348-6777
amy.hodges@rice.edu

Rice political scientists available to comment on Davis’ run for Texas governor

HOUSTON — (Sept. 26, 2013) — Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis will run for governor in 2014, according to numerous news reports. Rice University political scientists Paul Brace and Mark Jones are available discuss how her candidacy will impact the future of Texas state politics.

“The Texas governorship will be an open contest for the first time in over 20 years,” said Brace, the Clarence L. Carter Professor of Political Science at Rice. “Understandably, this is attracting new interest and new faces to the race.”

Jones, the chair of Rice’s Political Science Department and a fellow at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, said that while a Davis victory is unlikely, the election will determine the tenor of partisan politics in both Texas and the nation for the next decade.

“Today’s Democrats, energized by Davis’ attention-getting filibuster in the state Senate, are once again feeling optimistic,” Jones said. “While they don’t believe she can win, they do think she might bring the state party back to life and set the stage for future victories.”

Brace is co-author of “Follow the Leader: Opinion Polls and the Modern Presidents,” author of “State Government and Economic Performance” and co-editor of “The Presidency in American Politics” and “American State and Local Politics.” He has published research in the American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, Political Research Quarterly, Polity, Social Science Quarterly, American Politics Quarterly, Legislative Studies Quarterly and other journals. He has been quoted nationally about Texas and national political issues.

Jones is a leading expert on Texas politics and has been quoted nationally about Wendy Davis and the 2014 race for Texas governor. He has also authored guest columns on the topic in Texas Monthly and the Texas Tribune.

Rice University has a VideoLink ReadyCam TV interview studio. ReadyCam is capable of transmitting broadcast-quality standard-definition and high-definition video directly to all news media organizations around the world 24/7.

For more information or to schedule an interview, contact David Ruth, director of national media relations at Rice, at david@rice.edu or 713-348-6327.

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Related materials:

Paul Brace bio: http://politicalscience.rice.edu/Content.aspx?id=59

Mark Jones bio: http://politicalscience.rice.edu/Content.aspx?id=103

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