Matthew Dowd suspends campaign for Texas lieutenant governor

Democrat Matthew Dowd said Tuesday that he is suspending his short-lived campaign for lieutenant governor, citing a need to make space for other candidates from more diverse backgrounds.

Dowd, a onetime strategist for former President George W. Bush and political analyst for ABC News, announced his candidacy in September, saying the Republican politicians controlling the Legislature had failed Texans.

But months later, Dowd, who is a white man, said a more diverse field of candidates is emerging in the Democratic primary and he does "not want to be the one who stands in the way of the greater diversity we need in politics."

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"The GOP Lieutenant Governor of Texas, Dan Patrick, has failed our state and harmed Texans," he said in a statement. "He seeks to undermine important rights of our fellow citizens and must be defeated. I will do whatever I can to accomplish that end now as a Texan not running for office."

Dowd's departure from the race comes less than a week before the Dec. 13 deadline for candidates to file to appear on March primary ballots. Democrat Mike Collier, an accountant and former chief financial officer of an oil company who lost to Patrick by 4.9 percentage points in 2018, and state Rep. Michelle Beckley, D-Carrollton, have launched campaigns for the seat.

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"Women have been underrepresented in politics for too long," Beckley said in a statement. "The Democratic Party is a diverse party and a party that supports the goals and aspirations of women, and in stepping back, Dowd is showing his respect for voters."

Collier and Beckley are white. Carla Brailey, vice chair of the Texas Democratic Party, told the Texas Tribune this week that she is considering entering the race. Brailey, who is Black, is also an assistant professor of sociology at Texas Southern University.

Patrick, a Republican and a white man, is seeking a third term. He is the only Republican to declare a candidacy.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Former Bush strategist suspends campaign for Texas lieutenant governor