The debate over abortion laws has rallied Democrats in recent weeks, but they have a long way to go before winning a statewide election in Texas.
The distance is not insurmountable, but the key questions are whether Democrats have the resources to bridge it and how long it might take them.
For a candidate to win, the Texas Democratic Party needs to be able to guarantee 48 percent of the electorate for any candidate. In the 2010 gubernatorial election the well-financed Bill White earned only 42.2 percent. In the 2012 presidential election President Barack Obama only got 41.3 percent.
Because the gap is so large, Democratic operatives originally saw 2014 as a building year for the 2018 governor's race. Now they wonder if they can close the gap in 2014.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.