As Republican candidates vie for the chance to replace Kay Bailey Hutchison in the U.S. Senate, an internal struggle for control of the GOP is rising to the surface -- pitting Tea Party members against the party establishment.
In a race that's generating national attention, supporters are lining up behind GOP candidates including Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, former Solicitor General Ted Cruz, former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert and former ESPN football analyst Craig James."There is a 'battle' of sorts within the Republican Party between the more establishment Republicans and the Tea Party constituents," said Allan Saxe, an associate professor of government at the University of Texas at Arlington. "Rightly or not, Lt. Gov. Dewhurst is viewed as the establishment candidate -- sort of the state version of Mitt Romney. Ted Cruz is the Newt Gingrich in the Senate race while Tom Leppert and Craig James are both Rick Santorum."The intraparty battle playing out in Texas is also being fought nationwide."There is a civil war going on in the heart and soul of the Republican Party," Cruz said during a recent candidate forum. "Texas should lead the fight."But some political experts say this may be an unwinnable crusade by Tea Party forces."The Tea Party influence is on the wane and will continue on that path, to be less of a force in the 2012 elections than in 2010," said Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. "This might be a war, but the Tea Party doesn't have a large, cohesive army in the field."Looking for fightersThe Tea Party movement flourished after the 2008 election, as many voters were frustrated with bailouts and stimulus packages approved by federal leaders. Tea Party activists called for less regulation and reduced government spending and elected a number of conservative candidates to embrace those beliefs in 2010.Now they hope to influence this year's election."We always look for a candidate that will represent our core principles once in office -- fiscal responsibility, limited government, personal responsibility, national sovereignty and the rule of law," said Konni Burton, who serves on the steering committee and board of directors for the NE Tarrant Tea Party. "We are looking for a fighter."But Jillson said this branch of the GOP may be reaching too far in trying to push the party more to the right."The Tea Party wants the bold call for change at the federal level, even beyond what can be accomplished," he said. "Traditional Republicans ask, 'Who is the most conservative candidate who can be elected?' The Tea Party just says, 'Who's the most conservative candidate?'"Now the U.S. Senate race is caught in the middle.Presumed front-runnerA recent poll shows that even though 31 percent of voters are undecided, Dewhurst leads the race with 36 percent support.Cruz came in second, with 18 percent, followed by Leppert with 7 percent and James with 4 percent, according to a January survey of Texas GOP voters by the North Carolina-based Public Policy Polling.Many say Dewhurst is the presumed front-runner because he has the best name recognition, holds the highest office and has the deepest pockets. The lieutenant governor has picked up a slew of endorsements, including from former GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee and Michael Reagan, son of former President Ronald Reagan.He also gained informal support from Gov. Rick Perry, who said on the presidential campaign trail this month that "Lord willing," Dewhurst would soon be in the Senate.Late last year, he had more than $4 million on hand for his campaign."Traditional Republicans are familiar with him," Jillson said. "He's been more visible, held public office for a long time and they've had a chance to watch him work."The Tea Party sentiment differs."David Dewhurst may be Texas grassroots enemy No. 1 right now," said Ken Emanuelson, a leader with the Dallas Tea Party. "We don't agree on a lot, but there seems to be near-universal agreement within the conservative grassroots in Texas that David Dewhurst needs to be stopped."Burton said: "It's obvious that the establishment Republicans are deciding that it's Dewhurst's turn to go a rung up the establishment ladder regardless of what job he did at the state level. The Tea Party could care less about whose turn it is."We are looking for a true conservative that will defend and fight for the principles that we believe in, and we will fight the establishment Republicans every step of the way when they're not aligned with us."Time to change?Cruz has never run for office but has been praised for fighting government growth and making the case for conservative principles.He picked up endorsements from nationwide Tea Party leaders, including U.S. Sens. Jim DeMint of South Carolina and Rand Paul of Kentucky. Conservative groups such as FreedomWorks and Club for Growth have also lined up behind him.He had more than $2 million on hand last year."Ted Cruz is by far the grassroots pick," said Adrian Murray, president of Common Ground America. "He's viewed as a constitutionalist and a defender of state sovereignty, which gets him high marks."Ted appeals to conservative voters on an intellectual level while also broadening the Republican Party's appeal to Hispanic voters."Most Senate candidates have been reaching out to Tea Party groups, as well as Republicans statewide, and have drawn their own crowd of supporters.Leppert, a businessman who is well-known in Dallas, has raised more than $4 million.He has drawn endorsements from supporters ranging from former Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach to a group of Texas pastors that includes evangelical leader Robert Jeffress.James joined the race on the last day of filing and has not released fundraising numbers yet."The smart [candidates] will be actively seeking the support of grassroots fiscal conservative reformers," Emanuelson said. "Any candidate who ignores the grassroots reformers may have an unpleasant surprise on election day.""Business as usual is over," Emanuelson said. "Ignoring the will of the people is a career-limiting move. To candidates, I'd say: 'Stop running your mouths so much and start listening to the people you serve. You might learn something.'"Anna M. Tinsley, 817-390-7610Twitter: @annatinsleyHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
