Davis' campaign and exposure mean she will remain a fundraising powerhouse nationwide. How Davis wins by losing

Democrats are publicly rooting for Wendy Davis to turn Texas blue.

But privately, many of her supporters are resigned to her losing. And, already, some political operatives are pondering how she can stay politically relevant beyond November.


Davis is down by 12 points to opponent Greg Abbott in the race for governor, a disadvantage that many liberals believe could mean a blow-out in November.

But even if Davis suffers a big loss, she could still score a win for her political career — setting herself up as an important player in the party regardless of the final score.

( POLITICO Polling Center: The lastest polls in Texas elections)

It’s a political path followed by many candidates of both parties — from Sarah Palin to Mike Huckabee — who gain political power and influence even after losing an election.

Texas State Teachers Association public affairs director Ed Martin, who has worked for years in Texas politics with Davis, said her future is bright.

“She learns, she acts and she gets stuff done,” said Martin, a veteran in Texas politics, of Davis, who he still thinks can win. “She has every skill that is needed to be governor, so I would suspect she would have every skill to pursue a wide range of opportunities.”

Still, the jockeying for Davis is just a matter of time.

( Also on POLITICO: Wendy Davis memoir set for September)

Liberal groups hope she would raise money, recruit candidates and become a much-needed new face for abortion rights. Several Democratic strategists say her growing national fame, fundraising prowess and extensive list of loyal followers could set her up for a long career in national Democratic politics. And political operatives in Texas hope Davis stays put in the Lone Star State as they try to turn it into a Democratic stronghold.

“She’ll have a life afterward,” said one veteran Democratic strategist. “She will have a formidable database on her hands. She really is attracting probably more individuals supportive of her campaign than any other Democratic candidate in recent times from Texas.”

That database means that Davis will continue to be a fundraising powerhouse and her endorsement of candidates will carry weight with activists across the country.

( Also on POLITICO: Davis gets new campaign manager)

Jason Stanford, a Texas-based Democratic consultant who worked on the unsuccessful re-election campaign of Gov. Ann Richards in 1994, said he didn’t want to speculate on Davis’ next steps — but, he added, “after Ann lost, she didn’t know what kind of future she had. It turned out she became even more influential than she had been as governor. Wendy Davis doesn’t even know what her options are right now — a lot depends on where the campaign goes.”

If Davis loses it doesn’t necessarily mean her days in public office are over. Several Democratic strategists pointed to Davis as a viable 2018 challenger to Republican Sen. Ted Cruz.

“I do get the sense that she might be slightly ahead of Texas’ time as it’s trending politically,” said David DiMartino, a veteran Democratic strategist. “There is no question it is trending blue, but it’s got a long way to get there. She might be slightly ahead of that wave, but that doesn’t mean she can’t come back.”

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In some ways, she’s already engaging in the playbook of politicos trying to remain active in the party — Davis is coming out with a memoir later this fall. The book, which is slated to be released two months before the general election, is expected to detail her life story, including being a single mother, living in a trailer park for a short time and going to Harvard Law School.

“I can tell you that it’s deeply personal. It’s my life story, it’s a memoir, it’s how I came to be who I am, why public service matters so deeply to me and how and why it is that I connect with the values of hardworking Texans,” Davis said in a recent interview. “I am one of many people in the state who has struggled, who understands struggle and who sees the opportunity that can be created for other people.”

That narrative caused some controversy for Davis after the Dallas Morning News published a story this winter highlighting a series of small inconsistencies in her biography. The story exploded in Texas and national political circles, causing headaches for the campaign.

For her part, Davis said in a recent interview that she is focused on November.

“I don’t think like that,” she said with a laugh when asked about what she would do after the election if the votes aren’t there. “I’m focused on winning, I believe I’ll win and that’s where I’m spending my thoughtful energies.”

But even close allies acknowledge that she still has a tough road ahead in a place where Republicans currently control all statewide offices; where voter turnout is low and where the state party has long been disorganized and viewed by many as ineffective. Beyond those institutional challenges, Democrats say that it took awhile for the campaign to hit its stride, though they say that several personnel changes made since the campaign got off the ground have gone a long way. In another shakeup, Davis campaign manager Karin Johanson recently exited and was replaced by state Rep. Chris Turner.

Davis became an overnight liberal icon last summer when her famous filibuster temporarily derailed a restrictive abortion bill in the Texas state legislature. A state senator from Fort Worth, she entered the race against Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott in the fall, amid intense local and national Democratic hopes of turning the state blue. But in deep-red Texas, where the GOP base has moved increasingly to the right, Abbott remains the heavy favorite.

The team has been seeking to play offense against Abbott, who has so far waged a more low-key campaign, though he did make headlines for appearing with controversial rocker Ted Nugent earlier this year.

Both sides have been raising millions of dollars — critical in vast, astronomically expensive Texas — but according to the last financial disclosure report, Abbott had $30 million on hand; Davis had $11 million in her campaign coffers.

The rise of Davis, along with Battleground Texas — a grassroots-focused effort run by Obama campaign alums, aimed at turning the Lone Star State blue — has heartened Democrats, and Battleground in particular terrifies Republicans.

Battleground Texas executive director Jenn Brown said the group is “all in” for Davis and other Democratic candidates on the ballot in the fall.

“We’re invested heavily in registering new voters and engaging voters who are already registered but haven’t consistently headed to the ballot box, and we know that work will make a difference on Election Day — this year and for years to come,” Brown said.

Meanwhile liberal women’s groups like Emily’s List and the Women Campaign Fund are also looking to Davis — win or lose — to inspire more women candidates.

WCF’s Clare Bresnahan said that Davis is having an impact on women considering running not only in Texas, but across the nation.

“It’s having an impact — encouraging more women to step into politics,” Bresnahan said, noting that she is a role model for women in Texas where only four women are in Congress and they make up about 20 percent of the state legislature.

Planned Parenthood’s Dawn Laguens agreed.

“She is an inspiration to women throughout the state and across the country in terms of standing up for families, for women and for trying to protect freedoms for all Texans,” Laguens said, noting that she believes Davis will win.