AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ Republican Tom Pauken is ending his longshot bid for Texas governor after seeing “no realistic path to victory.”
Pauken said Thursday his campaign was too short on financial and organizational support with the GOP primary just three months away. The filing deadline for 2014 statewide candidates is Monday.
Pauken is the former head of the Texas Workforce Commission and once served as the party chairman of Texas Republicans. He staked his six-month campaign on being the alternative to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott and argued he would fare better against Democrat Wendy Davis in the general election.
Pauken had said from the start that he needed to raise at least $2 million to make a competitive run.