Richards, Bush’s Son Capture Texas Gubernatorial Primaries

Democratic Gov. Ann Richards won nomination for a second term Tuesday and will face Republican George W. Bush, a son of the President she once mocked.

In other results from the kickoff to the 1994 primary season, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison--who only a month ago faced trial on ethics charges, which were later dropped--easily got the GOP endorsement for a full term. The Democratic nominee will be decided in an April 12 runoff between a Ross Perot supporter and a former state attorney general.

Turnout was low across much of the state, mainly because the primary failed to excite enthusiasm. Bad weather also was a factor--up to an inch of snow per hour fell in parts of the Texas Panhandle and in neighboring Oklahoma, where turnout also was low in a special congressional primary.

With 30% of the Texas vote counted, Richards had 325,942 votes, or 77%, to 98,303 votes, or 23%, for Gary Espinosa, who said he ran for religious reasons. Bush had 170,246 votes, or 93%, to 13,328 votes, or 7%, for demolition contractor Ray Hollis.

“We’ll have a celebration on Nov. 8, but right now we’ve got work to do,” said Richards.

She said her Administration had “laid the foundation for a new Texas. We have begun the process of change and we are preparing this state for the century ahead. There is a lot still to be done, but we are turning the tide.”

Bush said there was no question Richards was “a very popular person, someone who’s got some of the funniest one-liners in history.”

But he said he was confident he would prevail on the issues.

“Texans are not willing to accept the status quo,” Bush said. “Texans want change. Texans want action where there’s been inaction.”

In the Senate primary, with 25% of precincts reporting, Hutchison had 164,080 votes for 86% of the total; the six challengers divided the remaining 14%.

On the Democratic side, former Atty. Gen. Jim Mattox led with 173,063 votes, or 41%, followed by Ross Perot backer Richard Fisher with 159,319 votes, or 38%. Rep. Mike Andrews was a distant third with 59,628 votes, or 14%, and Evelyn K Lantz, a follower of political extremist Lyndon H. LaRouche Jr., had 26,647 votes, or 6%.