By BJ Austin, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-883201.mp3
Dallas, TX –
The leading Democratic candidates for Texas Governor are traveling the state prior to their televised KERA debate next week. BJ Austin says Houston businessman Farouk Shami is in South Texas today. Monday, former Houston Mayor Bill White released his first television campaign ad, and opened campaign offices in Dallas and Fort Worth.
Applause greeted former Houston Mayor Bill White at his new Dallas campaign office. He spoke about the urgent need to improve education in Texas, clean up the air, and set a new, less partisan, tone in Austin. And he took a crowd-pleasing jab at incumbent Governor Rick Perry.
White: We want to be the state that leads the nation, not the state that leaves the nation.
White and his chief opponent, Houston businessman Farouk Shami will face off in the KERA Democratic primary debate Monday, February 8th at 7pm.
So, what will a statewide radio and television audience learn about Bill White?
White: Oh, I can't guess about that. But I can tell you this. They'll be my own words. I'm not scripted by other people. I'll say what I think.
And White hopes this Democratic Governor's Race debate will be a contrast to the recent Republican debates.
White: Hopefully they'll get to see the candidates who put their ideas forward about where we ought to go in Texas. The voters should penalize people in either party who spend as much time attacking the other person as they do talking about where our state should go.
Farouk Shami opened his Dallas campaign office in December. And at that time said he would welcome a debate with White.
Shami: I challenge him any day and any night. Who is going to do the good job? Who is going to perform the job? And who is going to stimulate the economy?