AUSTIN - When the Houston City Council passed its nondiscrimination ordinance including gay and transgender protections, top Democratic statewide candidates such as Sen. Wendy Davis were quick to celebrate.

"All people should be treated equally in every way," Davis said. Her gubernatorial campaign pointed out that when San Antonio earlier approved its nondiscrimination ordinance, Davis said she'd like to see one in every Texas city.

But the campaign of Davis' GOP opponent, Attorney General Greg Abbott, was silent, suggesting a balancing act on the issue as the general election approaches.

Abbott wasn't shy about opposing San Antonio's ordinance when it was proposed last year, before he won his primary nod. He said it ran contrary to the Texas Constitution's ban on religious tests and its one man-one woman definition of marriage, which Abbott has staunchly defended.

No response

He even suggested Texas might sue over the San Antonio ordinance but backed off after seeing the final version, which his spokeswoman said included needed changes.

Other Republicans weren't as reticent about the Houston ordinance. They didn't put out press releases, but they responded when I called. The Abbott camp didn't respond to calls, texts and emails.

"I'm totally opposed to it. I think this mayor is trying to force legislation upon the public that the public will not support and will overturn," said Sen. Dan Patrick of Houston, the GOP nominee for lieutenant governor.

Anthony Holm, spokesman for Sen. Ken Paxton, the GOP attorney general nominee, said, "On its face, the ordinance appears to try to raise gender identity in the same protected class as one's race, which is absurd. To suggest that transgender or one's gender identity is historically discriminated against the way one's race is in America is a disservice to the nation."

Like Abbott, Patrick and Paxton face Democrats who back the anti-discrimination effort: state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte of San Antonio for lieutenant governor and Houston lawyer Sam Houston for attorney general.

Difficult issue for GOP

But Abbott, who had little opposition on the way to winning the GOP nomination and has a nationally-watched general election fight against Davis, already has shown measured rhetoric on issues like gay marriage, saying there are good people on both sides. Some suggest the ordinance warrants the same caution as Republicans try to keep their Texas dominance.

"This is an easy call for most Democrats, because an overwhelming majority of your base favors this type of ordinance," said Rice University political scientist Mark Jones. "For Republicans, this is a difficult issue."

Republicans won't win new voters by actively condemning the ordinance, since its foes are likely in the GOP camp already.

"Whereas they do run the risk of creating the image of intolerance that could alienate many younger voters, particularly Anglos, who they sorely need if they are going to maintain their majority in the state," Jones said, pointing out that younger voters show more inclusive views on such issues.

At the same time, Jones said, Republicans, including Abbott, could benefit if ordinance opponents get the signatures needed to force a referendum on it. If it's on the November ballot, it could motivate "politically apathetic socially conservative Christians," he said.

Image at risk

"If I were Abbott, I would try to avoid the topic as much as possible and let surrogates further down on the political chain use it to mobilize Christian conservatives in the city of Houston," Jones said.

But there's a risk in using it at all, he said.

"It does aid the Democrat's broader campaign strategy of painting the Republican Party as the party of intolerance."