Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said at a Texas Tribune event that if he wins re-election he expects this will be his last term in any political office. He said he has unfinished business to accomplish before retiring from office.
Dewhurst said he’d like to continue to oversee how the state responds to Texas’ current economic boom.
"I wanted to run one more time because Texas is doing great, we’re doing great, we are at a crossroads, and because we are doing great people are voting with their feet and their coming to Texas, 1,200 people a day," Dewhurst said. "I feel very strongly that this state is at a critical time period."
Dewhurst said it isn’t necessarily specific issues that he wants to accomplish, he just wants to oversee the process. The incumbent lieutenant governor said he’d be willing to spend an upwards of $25 million of his own money to stay in office another term.
"I’ve shown over and over again in this race that I’m willing to spend what’s necessary to make sure that our message gets out and that we are competitive candidate and that we win," Dewhurst said.
Dewhurst raised $2.3 million in the last six months, more than his opponents in the Republican primary, but both Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples and state Sen. Dan Patrick of Houston have more than twice the amount of cash on hand.
Dewhurst said he’d be willing spend whatever it takes to win the election. During the 2012 U.S. Senate race, Dewhurst spent over $25 million of his own money in a race against Ted Cruz, who won the primary and the general election.
