TEXAS: Anti-Gay AG Greg Abbott Beats Wendy Davis In Gubernatorial Race

Davis' support for abortion rights made her public enemy #1 in Teabagistan.  Celebrations are erupting on Twitter.

Houston Pastor: Pray That Spirits Of Darkness Confuse LGBT Rights Supporters

As Houston officials review the validity of the petition signatures to place a repeal of the HERO ordinance on the public ballot, a local pastor is asking his followers to make "imprecatory prayers" against the bill's supporters. Via the pro-gay Texas Freedom Network:

Imprecatory prayers are those that ask God to burden, curse or even destroy wicked individuals and institutions. They typically are tied to the Bible’s imprecatory Psalms, such as Psalm 109:9 (“May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.”) and Psalm 137:9 (“How blessed will be the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.”). In an article emailed to supporters over the weekend, Welch writes that city officials are nearly done determining whether there are enough valid petition signatures to put repeal of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance on the November ballot. He calls on repeal supporters to pray while city officials finish that work:“PRAY - imprecatory prayers for the Lord to oversee every detail and every person involved, to expose any impropriety, to bind spiritual forces of darkness in the city and to send confusion into the enemy camp.”

TFN adds: "We’re not sure what in the world Welch means with his calls for imprecatory prayers regarding the HERO repeal effort. But whether or not he really wants the destruction of anyone (or any institution) in Houston, his call is chilling and dark. History is full of disturbed people who have done horrible things in the twisted belief that they were carrying out God’s will."

Read Welch's full message.

JMG reader Mike reports that the signature verification process has been going on for three weeks and that a preliminary report might be issued tomorrow. Over the weekend, Texas gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis dropped in to cheer on the many volunteers who are scouring the petitions.

RELATED: As TFN notes (and as was reported here on JMG at the time), imprecatory prayers have been launched by pastors against President Obama and by Scott Lively, who claims that God heard his prayers to destroy a Massachusetts strip club which burned in a 2012 fire that injured 20, some of whom were firefighters. That fire was suspected to have been caused by the accidental puncturing of a gas line by a utility worker.

Tweet Of The Day - Wendy Davis

(Via Good As You)

RELATED: The most recent polls show Davis trailing Attorney General Greg Abbott by about 12 points in the Texas gubernatorial race.

TEXAS: Greg Abbott And Wendy Davis Easily Win Gubernatorial Primaries

Anti-gay GOP Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott and Democratic state Sen. Wendy Davis today both coasted to easy wins in their respective primary bids to succeed Gov. Rick Perry.

Abbott clinched the Republican nomination for governor and Davis locked up her party's selection, thereby making official a showdown poised to become a record-shattering arm's race of fundraising in a Texas gubernatorial election. In another sign of a rightward drift, state Sen. Dan Patrick, who drew heat from even fellow Republicans for bemoaning an "invasion" of immigrants coming across the Texas-Mexico border, appeared headed for a runoff in the lieutenant governor's race with longtime incumbent David Dewhurst.

Democrats set on breaking the nation's longest losing streak in races for statewide office, meanwhile, hoped a charismatic headliner in Davis would turn out long-dormant voters. Davis, who catapulting to national political stardom last summer with a nearly 13-hour filibuster over abortion restrictions, is the first female gubernatorial nominee in Texas since Ann Richards in 1994. Her underdog campaign has raised $16 million so far behind a whopping 91,000 individual donors and big checks from abortion-rights groups.

 Davis endorsed marriage equality last month.

TEXAS: Wendy Davis Endorses Marriage

Democratic Texas gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis today endorsed same-sex marriage and called on her election opponent, Texas AG Greg Abbott, to stop defending the state's ban.

“It's my strong belief that when people love each other and are desirous of creating a committed relationship with each other that they should be allowed to marry, regardless of their sexual orientation,” Davis told the Express-News editorial board. Davis, D-Fort Worth, said she is “pleased” that the state's constitutional definition of marriage, as being between a man and a woman, is under challenge in federal court. “I think that what we see happening at the federal level in terms of constitutional interpretations on that provide some hope that it may be found unconstitutional,” she said.

A spokesman for Abbott scoffed at Davis' statement: "Unlike Senator Davis' positions on the issues, the Texas constitution is not subject to change on the latest whims of the day. Senator Davis' comment suggesting the Attorney General not enforce the Constitution mimics an Obama-style approach to government, and Texans deserve better."

Cookie Cott 2014

Anti-abortion groups have launched yet another national boycott of Girl Scout cookies because, among other reasons, the organization tweeted a link to a 2013 Huffington Post article that included Texas gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis in a list of candidates for "Woman Of The Year." The groups intend to disrupt cookie sales by thrusting flyers at potential buyers.

The groups have united to form Cookie Cott 2014, which encourages all those who support pro-life to distribute flyers at locations where Girl Scout cookies are sold, detailing why they are boycotting Girl Scout cookies this year. The Cookie Cott website reads that it is boycotting the well-known treats because the youth organization's "national leadership continues to show its attachment to pro-abortion leaders and organizations." "I am offended that the Girl Scouts honor pro-abortion activists like Wendy Davis and Kathleen Sebelius and hold them up as leaders to be emulated by our young women and girls," John Pisciotta, director of Pro-Life Waco, who is spearheading the effort, said in a statement about his Cookie Cott campaign.

Right wing sites regularly call Davis "Abortion Barbie."

Bristol Palin Attacks Wendy Davis

"Gosh, children are sooo inconvenient, huh? I’m glad my mother didn’t put motherhood on the shelf when she was elected to City Council, then became our mayor, then Governor. Oh sorry – I mentioned my mother… Have you liberals gone into a tail spin of hate already? Did I lose you? I know you would rather think about Wendy Davis, so let’s get back to her. She’s more your type of woman. She left her kid, husband, made it into a false 'made-for-tv-movie-type-tale' and then demanded that Texans have the right to kill babies. That’s the woman you libs can really get behind! Let me be clear. I think it’d be so nice to have a husband take care of me, and my son, so I could attend school. (Any school — let alone, Harvard!) But the way Wendy Davis did it – by getting married and leaving him as soon as the ink dried on his last check – is downright pathetic. Plus, it perfectly shows that – no matter what they say – feminism is a farce. If you truly believe in strong, independent women, you’d be a conservative." - Failed reality show contestant Bristol Palin, writing for Patheos. (Tipped by JMG reader Dan)

HRC Endorses Wendy Davis

Via press release:

“Wendy Davis has been a champion for equality for all, whether it is the working poor or LGBT Texans,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “Her dedication to the underdog and commitment to fairness for all Texas families make her the right choice for Governor.” Wendy Davis has a strong history of support for the LGBT community, having authored and sponsored legislation that would prohibit employment discrimination in Texas and protect LGBT students from bullying. Davis’ likely opponent in the general election is Texas Attorney General Greg Abbot. Abbott has a history of taking anti-equality positions. Last year, Abbott argued that Texas cities offering domestic partner benefits to their workers are violating the state constitution and stood out as a vocal opponent of a San Antonio ordinance that protects LGBT people from discrimination in city employment, housing and public accommodations.

This should give the haters much to scream about.

Wendy Davis To Run For Texas Governor

Next week Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis, who catapulted to national fame for her marathon filibuster of an anti-abortion bill, will formally announce to her bid to run for governor.

Ms. Davis’s decision has the potential to turn the race to determine Gov. Rick Perry’s successor into a rare competitive showdown between long-suffering Texas Democrats and the Republican conservatives who have ruled state politics for decades. She would enter the race as a substantial underdog, but her candidacy would represent the most serious challenge to the Republican lock on the office. Two Republicans, Mr. Perry and George W. Bush, have held the office since the party began its winning streak in governor’s races in 1994, with Mr. Bush’s victory over the incumbent, Ann W. Richards.

Yesterday Davis tweeted: "A week from today, I’m announcing something big. Can you chip in now to show the strength of our grassroots network?"