Wendy Davis autographs memoirs for supporters

Robert Kenyon stood and applauded when he saw Wendy Davis at a bookstore Monday night.

Kenyon arrived at the TCU Barnes & Noble bookstore around 3:30 p.m., hoping to be first in line to get a copy of Davis’ campaign memoir, Forgetting to Be Afraid, at the first book signing that the Democratic gubernatorial candidate held.

“This is fairly historic, or I anticipate it will be,” said Kenyon, director of educational technology at All Saints’ Episcopal School, who sat in a lawn chair waiting for nearly four hours to claim the first spot. “She inspires me. She makes me proud.

“I have three daughters and I yearn for them to have a strong role model, brave, wise, insightful and talented,” he said. “We’ve got enough old white guys running things.”

Davis, a state senator from Fort Worth, faces Republican Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott in the Nov. 4 election to determine who replaces Gov. Rick Perry next year.

Earlier in the day, Abbott’s campaign questioned promotions for the book and whether they are in-kind contributions to Davis’ campaign. The book, which goes on sale this week, has already drawn media attention for including details about two medical abortions Davis had in the 1990s.

“Given Sen. Davis’ history of questionable ethics, Texans deserve to know whether this book tour represents yet another conflict of interest,” said Matt Hirsch, Abbott’s communications director.

Davis’ campaign said Abbott’s challenge shows that the Republican front-runner is starting to see her campaign as a threat to his success.

“We were very careful to follow every legal guideline,” Davis’ spokesman Zac Patkanas said. “This frivolous stunt by the Abbott campaign is the clearest sign yet how worried they are about the power of Wendy’s story.”

Those who waited in line for autographs from Davis didn’t mention Abbott.

Once they reached Davis, some took pictures with her. Many told her they are big fans. Some thanked her for everything she does for women.

“We are so proud of Wendy,” said Tempeste Wallace, 23, a studio artist in Fort Worth. “She’s standing up for our rights.

“We need Medicare, Obamacare and she’s going to fight for us.”

Legal questions

Earlier in the day, Abbott’s campaign staff sent a letter to the Texas Ethics Commission, asking officials to issue an advisory opinion about the legality of Davis’ promotions for release of the book.

The campaign wants to know how promotions for the book would be “categorized given that corporations are prohibited from contributing to political campaigns under current Texas law,” according to a statement from the campaign.

“Our campaign takes great measures to ensure full compliance with Texas campaign finance laws and ethical regulations,” Hirsch said. “For this reason, we have questions and concerns about impropriety that may result from the corporate-sponsored promotion of Sen. Davis’ book, which benefits her financially, at the same time her campaign is promoting her candidacy for governor.”

The Lone Star Project, an anti-Republican political research group, fired back with its own statement.

“Before Abbott asks any questions about campaign ethics, he needs to find the courage to answer some questions himself,” said Matt Angle, director of the group. “A formal request is pending before Greg Abbott calling on him to answer the question as to whether Texas taxpayers are obligated to fund the criminal defense of an indicted governor. Abbott has so far refused to fulfill the obligations of his office and answer this important, timely and precedent-setting question.”

He also said Abbott has yet to weigh in on whether GOP nominee Ken Paxton should become the state’s next attorney general because he “has confessed to felony violations of securities law.”

“Texans expect Greg Abbott to do his job,” Angle said. “Refusing to address the important issues before his office reveals Abbott’s TEC request to be both self-serving and hypocritical.”

Davis told media representatives after the signing that she wrote the book because she wanted to share her story. “I hope it helps other women and men,” she said.

‘Rooting for her’

The memoir drew media attention over the weekend because in it, Davis revealed that she terminated two pregnancies, one of which was an ectopic pregnancy and one because of a severe brain abnormality that likely would have left the baby in a permanent vegetative state if she survived delivery, in the 1990s.

Both pregnancies occurred before Davis began her political career, first serving on the Fort Worth City Council and later as a state senator representing Fort Worth.

Davis became nationally known last year after an 11-hour-plus filibuster in the state Senate against a measure proposing tough new abortion restrictions in Texas.

Democrats and Republicans alike offered sympathy over the weekend for Davis and her family and their loss of a life.

Cynthia Bowers, a retired teacher from Cleburne, said Monday that she was thrilled to meet Davis.

“Not since Ann Richards has there been anybody who created such excitement for me,” said Bowers, 55. “When Wendy started running, I thought, ‘Man, there’s finally somebody to stand up for women and education.’

“When I told her I’m a retired teacher, she said she’s rooting for me,” she said. “I told her I’m rooting for her.”

This story was originally published September 8, 2014 at 8:43 PM with the headline "Wendy Davis autographs memoirs for supporters."