Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis of June filibuster, Mizuno Wave Rider 16 sneakers (opens in new tab) acclaim announced her campaign for Texas governor on Thursday, which, for Texas, is huge news. Davis' candidacy is already a far cry from Texas' current, far right-leaning governor, Rick Perry. But Davis' epic 11-hour fight against abortion restrictions (opens in new tab) shouldn't be the only discussion to be had about Davis and her campaign.
Davis announced her candidacy yesterday while speaking to a hometown crowd where she received her high school diploma, a town which we imagine holds great significance for the abortion icon. The Planned Parenthood advocate was raised by a single mother, and she also became one herself at 19. Defying odds, she then went on to graduate from Harvard Law School and was elected to the Texas state Senate in 2008. Davis has also made it clear that she at one time sought services from Planned Parenthood — just like many of the young women to whom she now hopes to speak.
During yesterday's rally, Davis told supporters that she wasn't sharing her story "because it's unique or special. I'm sharing it precisely because it's not. My whole life, I've seen Texans create promising tomorrows for themselves and their families. But I worry that the journey I made is a lot steeper for young people in Texas today."
Our two cents: Women in Texas should pay close attention to a candidate who has such a resounding personal and political history, one that promises Texas women that she will fight for the right to make their own decisions (whether sexually or politically). This could be a historical election, but we know that Davis already has a tendency to make things historical.
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