2010: Schieffer's Exit Statement

What Tom Scheiffer said when he announced he's dropping out of the race for governor:

November 23, 2009
 
For Immediate Release
 
STATEMENT  FROM TOM SCHIEFFER

Yesterday, my treasurer, Lyndon Olson, and I met In Houston with Mayor Bill White.  I urged Mayor White to consider running for Governor instead of the United States Senate. I told him that I thought our state was facing a crisis of leadership and if we did not have a new governor, Texas could wind up being a third world state.

I also told him that I thought the Democratic Party offered the only chance for real change in Texas and we had to have a candidate that was thoughtful and serious and could draw from a broad range of support.  I told him that I thought he could be that candidate and that I was prepared to withdraw from the race in order to make that happen.

So, I am announcing today that I will no longer be a candidate for Governor. I hope my actions will be a catalyst for others to reassess their intentions and to join me in supporting Mayor White for governor. We simply must get behind one candidate that can unite our party and offer a credible alternative to the Republicans next fall.  I think Bill White is that candidate, and I hope others will join me in urging him to run.

Before I answer your questions I want to thank the folks who went out on a limb to support my candidacy. So many of them have been my friend for thirty and forty years. To them it was always more about friendship than politics. But there were countless others that supported my candidacy and said they wanted to help because they thought I could take our state in a different direction. Old friends or new friends, I was deeply touched by your willingness to help, and I thank you.

Finally, I want to thank my family for pitching in. They have always been there for me. I wish that I could have saved them from the pain of this moment, but I love them and appreciate very much their sacrifice in my behalf.