Win by Clinton could affect Senate race here
Ex-candidate Watts says Dems may be less likely to spend in Texas
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau
AUSTIN — The ability of the Democratic U.S. Senate nominee to raise national party money for the general election campaign in Texas may be hindered if Hillary Rodham Clinton is the party's presidential nominee, one-time senatorial candidate Mikal Watts said Tuesday.
"If Hillary is the nominee, that will have an effect on whether the national Democrats will play in Texas," Watts said.
"The prevailing thought is the Republicans don't have anybody who will motivate their base to get out. There are some who think Hillary will do that," he said.
Watts said he has seen Texas polling that shows "right-wing Republicans" react more negatively to Clinton than they do to Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama or John Edwards.
"I think whoever is the Democratic nominee will be the president, but it's a different story cobbling together 270 electoral votes and doing well in Texas," Watts said in an interview with the Houston Chronicle.
Watts, a millionaire trial lawyer, dropped out of the race in October, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family than he could if he continued to run statewide. He left state Rep. Rick Noriega of Houston as the presumptive Democratic nominee to take on Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn.
But since that time, Noriega has picked up three opponents: Corpus Christi school teacher Ray McMurrey and perennial candidates Gene Kelly of Universal City and Rhett Smith of San Antonio. Because voters apparently confused him with the late actor, Kelly won the Democratic Senate nomination in 2000.
"I don't see either McMurrey or Gene Kelly getting any traction," Watts said of the current primary. "It's pretty clear he (Noriega) will be the nominee, and he's the person best equipped to take on John Cornyn."
Watts said he does not think it will hurt Noriega in the eyes of national donors and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee if Noriega has to win the nomination in a runoff.
"It slows him down for a month. Obviously, he'd rather be the nominee earlier rather than later. But my advice to him would be to save his resources for Cornyn," Watts said.
Watts said he donated $100,000 to the DSCC in late December. He said the committee chairman, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, will decide on whether to help fund Noriega's campaign based on polling done in the summer.
"They are fiduciaries of money and they're trying to pick up Senate seats. So they'll spend the money where it will be most effective," Watts said. "Rick will be in a good position to make his case for that money, but there are a lot of pick-up opportunities across the country."
At present, Noriega has raised about $1 million. Cornyn in October had $6.6 million in the bank.
As preparation for the general election, Watts said, Noriega should debate McMurrey. McMurrey has challenged Noriega to debates, but Noriega's camp has declined so far.
"I don't think debating hurts anybody. Rick and I were prepared to have a series of debates," Watts said. "You're going to want to have debates with Cornyn, and you're going to want to be able to say you took on all comers in the primary and Cornyn ought to in the general."
Noriega campaign manager Sue Schechter said the debate argument with McMurrey is a matter of "semantics." She said Noriega and McMurrey have had repeated joint appearances at local Democratic forums, but that McMurrey has not shown up for all of them.
"Our challenge would be for him to start showing up at these events where we are both invited," Schechter said.
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