Perry’s 40% Makes Him Governor Just The Same–Our Boy Ralph Yarborough Went To The Senate With 38%
Some have argued that Rick Perry’s lousy 40% vote total last November somehow limits or weakens his so-called mandate as Governor of Texas. I wish this were so—But it is not. Governor Perry won the election and that is what matters.
The Governor may or may not decide to be a better Governor because so many Texans voted against him. Or he may feel liberated that he can serve the next four years while only having to satisfy such a small base. Like it or not, it’s his call to make.
In 1957, the great Texas liberal Ralph Yarborough first won election to the Senate with just 38% of the vote. This is was in a three-way special election to fill the seat of Senator Price Daniel who had resigned to become Governor.
After that election, a law was passed in Austin requiring runoffs for Senate seats. The new law made a difference in 1961 when John Tower finished first with 31 % in a crowded multi-party primary field to replace Lyndon Johnson.
Tower won the runoff with 50.6%.
If a present day Ralph Yarborough had won the 2006 governor’s race with 40% we on the left would quite happy. Given that, we must admit that Governor Perry won fair-and-square.
We only have one Governor at a time. That Governor has all the powers of the office. Regretfully, that one Governor for the next four years will be Rick Perry.
Okay so you predict another win for Perry and bring up Ralph Yarborough I am fully aware that many elections here have been won in a large field of candidates with small margins.
I met and shook hands with old Ralph in 1955 when I was thirteen at the Grand Prairie public library and he arrived in a pick up truck to campaign a little where people were lined up for the first polio vaccine made available to the public in our town.