By Shelley Kofler
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-718908.mp3
Dallas, TX – On a red white and blue convention center stage, Governor Rick Perry talked of battles: those before the legislature next year. Those at the ballot box this fall.
Perry: I won't sugar coat it. At the national level our party has lost its way. The democrats are awake now, more unified than ever and singing a seductive siren song of change.
Then Perry threw party activists a little red meat.
Perry: Let's not forget what democrats really mean when they talk about change. They really mean the change they'll be sucking out of your pockets.
Although Republicans in Texas control all the statewide offices, they admit to feeling a little vulnerable this election year.
Party Chairman Tina Benkiser doesn't blame Texan and President George Bush even though his popularity is at an all time low, but she says Washington policies may hamper Republicans up and down the ballot.
Benkiser: The challenges really go back to people looking at Washington DC and seing that it is broken seeing we have a tax system that truly burdens those who work I think quite frankly we have to earn the trust of the voters
Texas' Former Secretary of State Roger Williams is leading the Republican victory effort. He recalled the blow Democrats delivered two years ago when they replaced Republicans with Democrats in almost every elected office in Dallas County. He referenced the Tarrant County's Republican House seat won by Democrat Dan Barrett last fall. Williams says the party will have a better organized get out the vote effort this time.
Williams: We want to begin to get Dallas County back we want to protect Harris County we want to begin to get Tarrant County back we've got a race there we need to bring back to the Republican side.
Williams says republicans will have the money to win local elections, but they'll need to build excitement among voters to counter the Democratic surge Obama and Clinton have generated.