Democrat Matthew Dowd Ends Lt. Gov. Campaign, Says ‘White Male Christians’ Should Step Back

One of the Democrats vying for statewide office in Texas says is dropping out of the lieutenant governor race because he is a “white male Christian.”

Formerly a senior advisor on President George Bush’s reelection campaign, Matthew Dowd switched political parties more than a decade ago and recently announced a campaign for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor of Texas. 

The Democrat hopeful had previously intended to run heavily on reducing gun violence by advocating for gun control. But the campaign quickly stumbled from the beginning. His campaign announcement video included numerous typos, which observers quickly pointed out. 

In addition to grammatical errors, Dowd’s campaign faced public opposition from many fronts. Not only were conservatives averse to the former Bush staffer, but many Democrats also expressed distaste for a party switcher representing Texas Democrats in 2022. 

In his statement posted to social media, Dowd claims his reason for pulling out of the race was to “step back and give more people who don’t look like us access to the levers of power.” 

“When I first announced, the only other candidate for this office was a white male Christian. A diverse field is now emerging in the Democratic primary for this office. I do not want to be the one who stands in the way of the greater diversity we need in politics.”

“We as white male Christians should do what real leadership demands and practice a level of humility which demonstrates strength by stepping back from the center of the room and begin to give up our seats at the table,” Dowd added.

At the time of his announcement, Dowd and Mike Collier were the only prospective Democratic candidates for the office. Recently State Rep. Michelle Beckley (Carrollton) has become a contender for the Democratic nomination. Beckley applauded Dowd for bowing out of the race on social media.

Numerous media outlets are now reporting that an official announcement is also forthcoming from Texas Democratic Party vice chair Dr. Carla Brailey.

The primary is currently slated for March 1, 2022.

Griffin White

After graduating high school with an associates degree in fine arts, Griffin chose to seek experience in his field of interest rather than attend university. He describes himself as a patriotic Fort Worth native with a passion for cars and guitars. He is now a fellow for Texas Scorecard.