Tea party activist jumps into GOP contest for governor in Texas



Abbott, the state attorney general, and former state Republican chairman Tom Pauken are already in the race. Both men have appealed to conservative tea party voters in the GOP.Abbott has made a particularly strong pitch to the party's right wing,  touting his opposition to the Obama administration and support for gun rights and the 10 Commandments monument on the Capitol grounds

Fritsch took aim at the state's Republican establishment, saying her priorities would be school choice, economic growth and curbing the influence of special interests that have benefited under the long-standing GOP political rule in Texas.

"It is time for us to be energized by a leader who inspires true change from the old guard and who calls us towards a united Texas, a Texas where we lead because we are called to serve and not simply because it is the natural tide of our own political ambition," she said.

Wendy Davis, the Fort Worth state senator who catapulted to attention with a filibuster against abortion restrictions, is seeking the Democratic nomination,