Texas gets wise to Rick Perry

Poll shows Perry, White with 43 percent each in Texas gubernatorial race

By DAVE MONTGOMERY Fort Worth Star-Telegram

AUSTIN -- Giving Texas Democrats a boost before their state convention in Corpus Christi this week, a new poll shows that former Houston Mayor Bill White is now in a tie with Gov. Rick Perry in his bid to become the first Democratic governor since the mid-1990s.

The survey by Public Policy Polling, released Tuesday, shows White, a Democrat, and Perry, a Republican, with 43 percent each, erasing Perry's 48-42 lead in the group's survey four months ago.

White picked up more independents and crossover voters than Perry did, the pollsters said.

"Bill White has the potential to give Democrats their biggest bright spot on what will probably overall be a bad election in November," said Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy. "A win in the Texas governor's race would be huge for the party and instantaneously make White one of the most prominent Democrats in the country."