Democrats are hoping to reverse the domination of state governorships that Republicans have enjoyed since 1994. But at least in Texas, their quest has failed.
Texas Republican Governor Rick Perry has retained his office by a wide margin.
This is good news for social conservatives: Perry signed a law requiring minors to get permission from their parents before getting an abortion. That law also prohibits abortions in the third trimester. Perry championed a constitutional amendment defining marriage in Texas as the exclusive union between one man and one woman.
His defeated opponent, Democratic candidate Chris Bell, is a former Houston City Councilman, who was elected to Congress in 2002. Bell voted against the partial-birth abortion ban and against the Marriage Protection Amendment. He also voted against efforts to ban human cloning for reproduction and medical research. NARAL and Planned Parenthood Action Fund gave Bell a 100 percent for his pro-abortion voting record.
