In a measure of how far Texas Democrats have fallen, singer Kinky Friedman has raised three times as much campaign money in his independent bid for governor as the two top Democratic candidates combined. Former U.S. Rep. Chris Bell raised $355,000 in the last six months, and one-time state Supreme Court Justice Bob Gammage collected $67,000, according to campaign finance reports filed Tuesday with the state. By comparison, Mr. Friedman, the mystery novelist and singer-songwriter who's running his first race for statewide office, reported raising $1.5 million between July and December. "It speaks volumes how lost the Democratic Party has become in this state and how dispirited Democrats have become," said Mr. Friedman's campaign manager, Dean Barkley.
Democrats, who dominated Texas politics over a decade ago, hold no statewide elected office and have struggled to field strong candidates in this year's elections. The polls and big-money contributors are favoring Republican Gov. Rick Perry, who is seeking re-election. Tuesday's finance reports indicate that Mr. Perry continues to build a fundraising advantage, collecting $4.6 million during the latest period.