i want to show an ad wendy davis has about ted nugent.e ted nugent episodes and this ad. so let's look at this. >> my name is nicole. i'm 34 years old and i'm a rape survivor. >> i'm speaking out because it really bothered me for greg abbott to partner with ted nugent knowing his history of being a predator. i think that it sends the wrong message. that he partners up with this man who is very vocal about liking underaged girls. there's something wrong with that. it's not okay. >> what is the effect of that in texas? >> let me tell you, it has real potential effect. wendy davis has to do two things. it's an uphill battle for per. she has to appeal to hispanic voters to turn out in numbers larger than they have. she's also got to appeal to women, moderate suburban women, republican leading women. the kind of women in 1990 voted for anne richards. 61% of the women in that year voted for richards. wendy davis has to do, and this unforced error of putting ted nugent on the stage, exactly what this commercial said, is the kind of thing that we

wendy davis introducing herself to the voters. how has she done that? >> well, the campaign -- wendy davis' campaign decided at the very beginning they were going to lead with their compelling personal narrative. the narrative was she was a divorced mother living in a trailer who worked her way up through harvard law school and electoral success now in the texas senate. as you indicated, in the piece, part of that story is not precisely true. so she has stumbled coming out of the gate. by leading that story, part of it true, part of it not precisely true, it confused some democratic voters and, in the case of wendy davis, running in a state where a democrat has not won for governor since ann richards in 1990, she has to have everything there right for her, and probably a few things go wrong for her republican opponent -- likely opponent gregg abbott. >> woodruff: how did she handle it when your story came out? >> yeah, she -- they did not handle it well. the campaign was slow to respond, it was slow to respond well. it took about ten days before she had

wendy davis wants to turn it blue. can the tea party help her. >>> we start with ukraine. in particular, the u.s. response not just to russian troops but vladimir putin claims that there are no russian troops in crimea. this morning the russian leader held court, stunning the world with a claim that russian troops do not occupy crimea. rather, those armed troops that people see in front of them and on their tvs, those are pro russian local forces of self-defense. president obama appearing at a function had this to say regarding putin's claim. >> there is a strong belief that russia's action is violating international law. i know president putin seems to have a different set of lawyers making a different set of interpretations, but i don't think that's fooling anybody. >>

wendy davis, gained tension when she staged a filibuster for abortion rights. >> wendy davis staged a filibuster last summer, sparking a movement for men and women across the state. >> you all have inspired every member in the senate democratic caucus. >> riding that momentum davis threw her hat in the ring to become texas governor. >> i'm proud to announce my candidacy to be the 4th governor of this... >> she has gotten attention. 27% of funds came from outside of texas, compared to abbott's 2%. some political strategists say it may not be enough. cal jill son is a political scientists at smu and explains the democratic hopes of turning the state purple is wishful thinking. >> the problem she has is texas is a conservative state, even if you think it's heading to a competitive, democratic state 25 years from now. >> rubbing on a story of struggle davis advocates for improved education. >> by the time i was 19 i was on my way to a divorce, living in a tiny trailer with my daughter amber. >> greg abbott attacked davis's hard-luck biology as embellishment saying she didn't divorce until

the texas tribune puts abbott 11 points ahead of davis. >> is a think that greg abbott will beat wendy davisbe by high single digits. over the last 20 years even competitive democrats have lost by 12 to 16 points, so when i say that davis is likely to lose by 7, 8, 9 that means she is running more pest till. >> alcompetitively. >> all of you deserve to have your voices heard. >> reporter: democrats appreciate supporting a candidate who they see as having a fighting chance in a state that hasn't elect ahead i democrat as governor since ann richards in 1990. brandon, al jazerra dallas. >>> coming up ahead it's hollywood's big day. a sneak peek at the preparation for the academy awards coming up next. >> talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america >> oh my... >>> welcome back to al jazerra america, i am morgan radford live in new york city. russian troops have surrounded a ukrainian military base in crimea, the ukrainian prime minister calling it a deck los angeles raise of war. and asking every single army reservist to respond. nato is meet to go discuss that. anti-government protests contin

wendy davis or anyone else at the moment. would say that the path to victory, quite clearly lies in winning vast majorities of the hispanic vote, winning the african-american vote overwhelmingly. but also having to win white suburban women around houston, dallas-ft. worth. those are places you would have to really overperform, people like tony sanchez. i think wendy davis's status, sort of profile will help, the fact that she is a woman frankly will help. the fact is can she overperform what democrats have traditionally done among women in the suburbs by enough that it makes up for what is just frankly a very difficult demographic equation for any democrat in the state. >> and mark halperin, there's no question that the senate was within grasp of the republicans the last time around, if not for language and not just policies, but the language used by several candidates. missouri comes to mind and indiana. >> well, there's no question. and look, in today's environment, gaffes can have a huge impact. but usually when they're co

state. >> you all have inspired every member in the senate democratic caucus. >> the honorable wendy davis. >> riding that momentum, davis took that hat in the ring to become texas governor. >> i proudly announce my candidacy -- >> 27% of funds she raised last month came from outside of texas compared to abbott's 2%, still some political strategists say it pay not be enough. cal gilson is a political scientist and professor at smu. >> the problem she has really is texas is currently a conservative state even though you think it's headed to a competitive state, a democratic state 20, 25 years from now. >> davis advocates for improved educational priorities. >> by the time i was 19 i was heading for a divorce living in my tiny trailer with my daughter amber. >> she really didn't divorce until the age of 21 and released a web video portraying the state senator as a flip-flopper on guns and abortion. >> so wendy davis has changed on a lot of issues, hasn't she. >> questioning davis's connection to rocker ted knew n. >> still can't compete with abbott's $30 million war chest and abbott continue

and again, the democratic party, it's only been potential future stars, and i left wendy davis and the castro brothers out, because they're already sort of achieved that status. what do you make of these three? >> very good. you know, you look at the democratic party, and it's difficult to say you got anybody there in the farm team, after 20 years of in the wilderness of. the republican party -- the democratic party has had a rough party. rafael and accia, very bright, and everybody for frankly the last ten years has been looking at anchia is looked at as someone to be the house speaker and possibly the governor down

but republicans see that as wishful thinking. >> the democrats were serious about having wendy davis in a statewide office, they would have put her into a race she can win. >> democrats though say if davis doesn't win, she will at least build momentum for making texas competitive, they are encouraged that by 2020, more hispanics and more young people like zack ballard will become eligible. bull lard is already a democratic party volunteer, even though his father is staunchly republican. has it gone anywhere. >> sometimes it does. >> the fact that the debate is happening at both the kitchen table and across the state, is something texas see as progress. insiders do say that having texas turn blue this year would be a shocker. because of the shifts it would be a very real possibility, especially with hispanics becoming the majority of voters here. >> in dallas, good to see you, thank you. an army general on trial in north carolina, maria is here with that and other headlines from across america today. >> tony, fort brag north carolina, and army general faces possible life in prison for

i think wendy has answered those questions, and what i know about the magic of wendy davis is meet here incredible women. so if there are any attacks on wendy, it's about her personal story. and i think it's quite showing how men and women are treated differently in politics. >> yeah, it's pretty obvious when you say that. leticia van de putte, thanks for coming in. >> thank you very much. >> interesting conversation there. >>> first, it was florida, this week it's texas. so where will tdr 50 take us next? that is up to you. so head to our website to vote on which state you want us to tackle next and tweet us using the #tdr50. we'll be right back. >>> first, today's tdr 50 texas soup -- at the breadwinner's cafe in dallas, they're serving up chicken and sausage gumbo today. sounds good from a chilly washington, d.c., that's for sure. we'll be right back. >>> it's trivia time now. six women have represented texas in the u.s. house of representatives. three of whom are currently serving. so now you know. and we want to congratulation today's winner, ben goodman. great job, ben. send your

gubernatorial candidate wendy davis is already looking ahead to november and the third wheel in the race, ted nugent. >> we're all responsible for our actions and he has reflected by associating himself with a person like ted nugent, what his values really are. >>> oscar pistorius breaks down in court during day two in the murder trial of his girlfriend, reeva steenkamp. the victim's mother speaks out about seeing the blade runner face to face for first time in court. >> i wanted to see oscar face to face and that he would know that i was there. and i can't explain to you why but that is the reason. >>> good day, i'm chris matthews in for andrea mitchell. >>> describing ukraine's political crisis as a result of a constitutional coup. >>> the president was also asked about putin's statements and said this. >> there is a strong believe that russia aegs action is violating international law. >> andrea mitchell joins me by phone in kiev with the secretary of state. andrea, thank you. you just saw the press conference. what is kerry attempting to do today in this crisis? >> he's attempting to

that's all right there in that fight that wendy davis and abbott are staging right now.see them fighting for their lives atacher's throats. it's really intense already. >> ronin, i want to get you to play a few clips. after the whole ted nugent issue first hit, there were a lot of hits on abbott, trying to get him to distance himself from nugent. the davis campaign has been pushing the nugent issue for days on after and it seemed to be part of the conversations you've had with both of them. >> she has been accused of going way, way negative. she was actually surprising on that subject. i'll show you a little sneak peek right now. take a listen. >> we're all responsible for our actions, and he has reflected by associating himself with a person like ted nugent what his values really are. >> as long as she's talking about me, then i'm talkicontinu expand my lead against her. >> he's saying it only helps him. her currently flagging number that is she keeps up the negativity. we'll have more on that at ronan farrow. >> you beat me to the punch. 1:00 today, interview with his

the excitement is over wendy davis who famously filibustered for abortion rights and now is on the ballot governor. >> we got that fire, and i think that's what is making a difference. >> reporter: carman sees davis as texas democrats best hope in 20 years. texas is one of the reddest states in the country. but she sees it differently. >> i see it purple now. i have seen more people become more politically involved in the last year. >> reporter: the last time that texans voted for governor was in 2010 when only 38% of democrats cast a ballot. and historically half as many texas democrats vote in gubernatorial primaries as texas republicans. which is why walking the streets of heavily democratic neighborhoods is the focus of jeff dalton. >> there has probably been a lot of depression, why bother, we're not going to win. >> reporter: even now and she trails greg abbott by 11 points in the polls, dalton and his team are optimistic, the november matchup could be a success. democrats though, say if davis doesn't win, she'll at least build momentum for taking texas competitive. they are encoura

it's excitement over wendy davis. is now on the ballot for governor. >> we have got that fire, and i think that's what is making a difference. >> reporter: carman -- sees davis as the best hope in 20 years. texas is one of the reddest states in the country. but she sees it differently. >> i see it purple. i have seen people become more politically involved in the last year. >> reporter: the last time that texans voted for governor was in 2010 in the lowest turnout in the nation. and half of texas democrats vote in gubernatorial primaries as texas republicans, which is why walking the streets of heavily democratic neighborhoods is the focus of this man. >> there has probably been a lot of depression in the democratic party, why bother? we're not going to win. this is a list of folks -- >> reporter: dalton and his team are optimistic that november matchup could be an upset. the republicans see that as wishful thinking. >> the democrats were serious about having wendy davis in a state-wide office, they would have put her

republicans see that as wishful thinking. >> the democrats were serious about having wendy davis in ade office, they would have put her in a race she could win. >> democrats say if davis doesn't win, she'll build momentum for making texas competitive. they're encouraged that by 2020, more hispanics and young people will become eligible voters. bullard, a democratic party volunteer, even though his father is staunchly republican. >> have you tried to sway him. >> yeah, i've appealed to him. >> has it gone anywhere? >> sometimes it does. sometimes it doesn't. >> the fact that the debate is happening at both bull's kitchen table and across the state is something seen as progress. to give you an idea of the uphill battle in november, the fundraising numbers, wendy davis that $11 million versus $30 million for her opponent. she has slightly edged out abbot in the latter reporting period. november is still a long time away and both campaigns saying there's ground that could be made up or lost until then. >> thank you very much. >> also today, a group of republicans from the west want to ove

wendy davis wants to turn it blue. can she do it and can the tea party help her. >>> we start with ukraine. in particular, the u.s. response not just to russian troops but vladimir putin claims that there are no russian troops in crimea. this morning the russian leader held court, stunning the world with a claim that russian troops do not occupy crimea. rather, those armed troops that people see in front of them and on their tvs, those are pro russian local forces of self-defense. president obama appearing at a function had this to say regarding putin's claim. >> there is a strong belief that russia's action is violating international law. i know president putin seems to have a different set of lawyers making a different set of interpretations, but i don't think that's fooling anybody. >> secretary of state john kerry who arrived in kiev also dispute putin's claim when he was asked about it by my colleague, andrea mitchell. >> it's clear that russia has been working hard to create a pretext for being able to invade fur

meanwhile you have to win the rest of the state and that's wendy davis' problem. wendy davis has to walk this line of trying to kind of attract more voters from suburbs, more white voters and interesting, i think, break is that women tend to support gay marriage much more than men. if you look at wendy davis as the battleground texas, obama staffers are trying to make texas a xcompetitive state, the are looking at increasing voter turnout among voters of color, it particularly latino voters, and trying 0 to swing female voters. that is sort of the political calculus of someone like wendy davis not trying to get too far but certainly the people down the road like castro who also thinks he has a pretty strong political faw tour in tfuture ie state is thinking those groups will add up to enough that i don't have to worry about the old, white, evangelical voters. >> in kentucky we can see ten years ago, 75, now 55%. mark, i wonder how you look at that. we were trying to go through the list before the show and who are the remaining democratic senators who are against g

kudos to wendy davis for jumping on this issue.t on the federal level. >> republicans like to assign blame to culture rather than structural factors. you see that as a theme throughout their position and, jess, you you have been very involved with this race. there were some endered attacks on wendy davis over her bio and it almost seemed like she was on her heels. she was suffering from that. she was struggling to make the case that these attacks were unfair and they essentially were painting her as a bad mother. which is unbelievable. now there's some momentum and she is able to build a case, look, his surrogates have no idea what to say on this issue. he's bad on the issue of equal pay for equal work and even within his own office there seems to be some pay it shall gender pay discrimination. >> republicans continue it shall one year out of their big rebranding, pay lip service to this idea they have a woman problem. they need to do something to re-engage women and then they continue to do exactly the opposite thing that would ge

two insiders, the political system there and give you a sneak peek at our exclusive with texas's wendy davis. stay tuned forehead lines. >> the ukrainian prime minister says we're on the brink of disaster. >> secretary of state john kerry calls it an invasion. >> are you willing to show solidarity with the ukrainians. >> absolutely. >> this is a conversation about obama's leadership pure and simple. >> we have a weak and indecisive president. >> president obama needs to do something. >> i would hope americans would focus on condemning the actions of putin. >> winter showing no signs of slowing down. >> this is part of a massive storm system. >> approaching 5 feet of snow. i'm tired and it's in march. >> dramatic testimony on day one of the oscar pistorius murder trial in south africa. >> a tragic mistake driven by his fear of crime and vulnerability. >> and the oscar goes to -- "12 years a slave". >> no matter where you're from, your dreams are valid. >> look at us. >> ready? >> today the tug of war over ukraine continues and international stability could hang in the balance. it is three day

>> i think wendy davis has a real shot.l, she's running against a guy hanging out with ted nugent. she needs to win 60% of women to have a shot and i think she can do that. >> that's been her issue, isn't it? chip, this is someone who came to national recognition when she was on the floor in texas with her pink running shoes and was really fighting for women's reproductive rights. >> yeah, she had to be running perfect campaign to have a slim chance to beat greg abbott. she's run a terrible campaign so far. greg abbott is going to be the next governor of texas. she's raised a lot of money, but in texas, not so much. she's going to get beat and she's going to get beat big. >> senator john cornyn meantime, r59% to 19%. congressman pete sessions beat back his tea party challenge. chip, what do those results tell you? >> pretty simple. when you run against an incumbe incumbent, you have have to an issue. at the end of the day, john cornyn and pete sessions have done a great job for the state of texas and their district. >> aish

and so far wendy davis is the candidate who has made more mistakes. she fashioned her campaign, around her a narrative, compelling personal narrative about being a divorced mother, being in a trailer park who worked her way all the way to harvard. some of the questions have been raised about that story. not that the fundamentals aren't true, they are. but many of the details were conflated or omitted and so some questions were raised about whether she's ready for this job. and her campaign really bungles the response around the stories raising questions about her knave of it --aire tifment they have to get things right. there is a call by some democrat money people and others sort of privately and inside the davis campaign to right that ship to maybe bring some other things in from washington on a more national experience if she is going to seriously compete for the nomination. she would be the first governor -- democratic governor of texas if she were elected. susan richards in 1990, it's been that long since a democrat has had the governor's mansion

. >>> in the high-profile texas governor's race wendy davis will face texas attorney general greg abbott. davis gained national attention for her hours long speech on the floor of the texas legislature last summer there vying to replace rick perry not seeking re-election after 14 years in office. >>> president obama travels to connecticut today to push for an increase in the minimum wage. that's after the president sent congress a $3.9 trillion budget that includes new spending for pre-k program, job training and about $300 billion to repair the nation's aging infrastructure. republicans say there is no chance it will pass. >>> abc news poll out this morning shows record support for gay marriage. the shift in opinion is speeding up with 59% of americans now supporting same-sex marriage. just 34% opposed. 81% say businesses should not be allowed to refuse service to gaiss and lesbians based on religious belief as recently vetoed by that arizona governor in that proposed bill. >>> sad as it is to say another mardi gras has wrapped up in new orleans. >> thousands of people lined parade rout

his russian counterparts in paris tomorrow. >> the poles close in texas, democratic state senator wendy davis and attorney-general greg abbott will go head to head. jordan davis is the first female candidate in 25 years. for the first time in three decades democrats say they believe they can turn texas blue. mardi gras comes to a close in new orleans, the biggest celebrations. crowds smaller this year. rain, cold weather, putting a damp on the event. >> those are the headlines. "america tonight" is next. to heights that you won't believe as residents ride out of the neighborhood. >> we're here today to say that the city, the tech industry, needs to work more to stop it. >> and growing out of t when autistic children become adults. the

election watchers chalk it up to excitement for wendy davis.the senator who filibustered for abortion rates an rights and isn line for governor. >>> texas is one of the reddest states in the country. >> as living in texas i see it purple. i see people become more politically involved in the last year. >> reporter: the last time texans voted for governor was in 2010 when 38% of registered voters cast a ballot. that made it the lowest voter turnout in the nation. and historically as many as half vote in primaries as texas republicans. which is why walking the streets of heavily democratic neighborhoods is the focus of campaign consultant jeff dalton. >> there has probably been a lot of depression in the democratic party. why bother, we're not going to win. >> reporter: as she trails greg abbott by 11 points in the poll, dalton and his team of volunteers are optimistic the november matchup could be an upset. the republicans see that as wishful thinking. >> the democrats were serious about having wendy davis in a statewide office. they would have p

the good news for texas democrats is that it was smooth sailing for wendy davis and laetitia van depewt who are the solid candidates for governor and lieutenant governor in texas. then there's also the terrible news for texas democrats. in the united states senate race, so in the race where democrats are picking who they're going to have run against john cornyn, that is where we get the texas democratic party nightmare news, the relatively low profile but mainstream democratic front returner for that senate race is this guy, his name is david alameal. he did not lose the democratic primary for the u.s. senate race in texas last night. he also did not win. he has now been forced into a runoff in the electoral equivalent of the bar scene from star wars. he can't just head into the general election and start running against john cornyn in the fall. first, he has to go through another election where it is him against alarusy. they tend to run against democrats but there's nothing about them that has to do with the democratic party. they're more like the westboro baptist church fred phelps p

what kind of shot does wendy davis have realistically? >> not a great one. to deal with the national mood which is probably anti-democrat to at least some extent, as well as dealing with coming back. you think about how much gap you can close in one election cycle, how big rick perry won the last time. i think her best chance is to, as chuck was saying, to go -- abbott into make ago series of mistakes to make him an unacceptable choice. she is really, i think, more building for the future for the party. if she can close the gap and get close to winning, that's a big step for them down the road when the demographics will make it very hard for a republican to win. >> i think the race in texas to watch is not the governor race but the lieutenant governor race. i think a tea party conservative is the nominee upseting the lieutenant governor there in this runoff. dan patrick is his name and a hispanic woman as a democratic nominee. i think there most likely you will see an upset. democrats have a better shot in that race than the gubernatorial race and that is yo

. >> wendy davis changed on a lot of issues. >> the davis campaign hit back. president obama called barack obama among rel, and admitted to having sex with underaged girls. >> it bothered me the partnership. >> davis raised more money than abbott. her $11 million can't compeel with abbott's $30 million war chest, and he continues to beat davis in the polls. a poll puts abbott 11 pounts ahead of davis. >> greg abbott will beat wendy days by high single digits. competitive democrats have lost by 12 po 16 points -- 12 to 16 point. when davis is likely to lose by 7, 8 or 9, she is running more competitively. >> all of you deserve to have your voices heard. >> democrats appreciate supporting a candidate they see as having a fighting chance in a state that hasn't a democrat such as an-richards. >> photo id laws will be put to the test. the first will be in this upcoming vote. voters will have to show voter ids. critics believe the laws are designed to discriminate. the election plated for march 4th, picture id laws. arkansas, mississippi, okay la home, rhode island

>> well, i think you should not and no one should count out wendy davis who has run -- >> go for it.can she win? >> -- in a district twice that was 53% republican. she is now running for governor of texas. we never saw energy of the type of the sort of the size that we saw when wendy davis did the filibuster. there were hundreds of thousands of people who showed up. and let me tell you, women are mad in texas. democrats are mad in texas. people who have not voted in a very long time are mad in texas. and the best thing that could happen is to have the farthest right wing fruitcake on the ticket run against her. >> is that greg abbott you described? >> he is one of them. with greg we can go after him on the redistricting and fighting the medicaid expansion. there will be a litany of issues that people are angry about. those are the people who are starting to turn out the vote and have a lot of excitement about wendy at the top of this ticket. >> thanks for coming on. state representative donna dukes. i'm going to learn that name and hear it many times. anyway, thank you wayne slater.

." >>> if you watched the show "army wives" you know wendy davis plays a very determined character.struggle and disorder that affects millions of americans. davis is impacting our world by sharing our story. >> reporter: growing up, actress wendy davis thought something was wrong with her. >> i really had very low self esteem and i felt i was defective. had a tough time staying seated in class. always found the window next to my task and the things that were happening outside of the classroom far more interesting. >> it wasn't until her daughter, kobe, was diagnosed with adhd that davis discovered she had it too. >> my entire childhood was explained in that moment. >> she turned to the internet and found an organization called children and adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. or c.h.a.d. >> they support research, they provide a wealth of information. it was such a relief to read about how many people are living with adhd. >> through chadd, davis shares her story nationwide. her goal, eliminate the stigma associated with adhd. >> i think a lot of people sort of keep

democrat wendy davis will take on republican greg abbott in the race for governor. our first read team says primary night was a good night for establishment republicans, not so much for the tea party. mark murray will join us and we'll get mark's insight on the explosive exchange between elijah cummings and darrell issa that we just witnessed on the hill. join the conversation. what do you think of this moment? we'll play a bit more of what happened during that hearing. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] you're watching one of the biggest financial services companies in the country at work. hey. thanks for coming over. hey. [ male announcer ] how did it come to be? yours? ah. not anymore. it's a very short story. come on in. [ male announcer ] by meeting you more than halfway. it's how edward jones makes sense of investing. on expedia you can book any flight, car and hotel together to save even more. plus, get an extra $100 when you build your custom trip. expedia, find yours. yeah... try new alka seltzer fruit chews. they work fast on heartburn and taste awesome. these are goo

in texas wendy davis pushed through a bill that got through the state and house but vetoed by rick perryve this happening in a number of states. in wisconsin the equal pay law was repealed. you have women running in these states making a big deal out of this. at a time when republicans are trying to really reset their approach to women one of the things they are trying to do is have more high profile women. you have women carrying the message of the republican party and their approach to equal pay which is essentially to say it is not needed because state laws are already good enough. and also that any additional laws would hurt business and just lead to more lawsuits. i thinkt that woman there is clearly in over her head. she is just a poor surrogate. >> what is the good argument? why are they fighting like the alamo on an issue that will never win for them? the republicans will look like they are anti-woman if they keep opposing equal pay standards. >> i don't think they understand that they are never going to win this argument. i think they have decided and there is a huge problem wit

election watchers chalk it unto excitement, over wendy davis, the democratic state senate who famously filibusters for abortion rights. and is now on the ballot for governor. >> we have that fire, and i think that's what with is making a difference. awe uh awe making it one of the reddest states in the country. >> living in texas, i see it purple. i see more people become more politically involved in the last year. >> the last time that texanss voted for governor was in 2010. but only 38% of registered voters cast a ballot. that made it the lowest voter turn out in the nation. and historically, half as many democrats vote in gubernatorial primaries as do texas republicans. there's probably been a lot of depression in the party, why bother, we won't win. >> even now as she trails by 11 points in the polls, dalton and his team are optimistic, that november match up could be a upset. if they were serious, they would have put her in a race she could win. >> they are encouraging that by 2020, more hispanics and more young people like zack bull lard will become eligible. he is already a demo

. >> democrats pinning their hopes on state senator wendy davis. she called her opponent defender of status quo. >> i'm ready to fight for you and to fight for every hardworking texan a across the state. >> another member of the bush family begins his political career with a win. george p bush, former son of jeb bush. one lieutenant governor dewhurst and the oldest serving member of the house is fighting for his job. 90-year-old republican paul talked here. his challenger said he spent too much time in d.c. >>> what would be the nation's strongest abortion bill has passed the house. the state house voted 73-29 in favor of the measure. the bill heads to the senate three other restrictions. if signed into law, alabama would join other states with the strongest bills. >>> now to two top democrats over odds in ruling favor over same sex marriage. the governor does not support same sex marriage and is hiring outside lawyers to fight that decision. he's at odds with the attorney general who refused to appeal the decision calling it discrimination. >> thi

democrat wendy davis has become the first gubernatorial candidate since ann richards.are her chances of winning? >> a lot of texas democrats see some hope here, in that even if she doesn't win -- it's still early. we'll see. the idea is that she's helping to shake the trees for democrats in texas, trying to get new people motivated and registered and maybe even helping candidates down ballot, city races, county judge races, the idea that this will set the party up for even more wins. it's in those coming cycles that demographers really believe the state will start turning purple, if not blue. she has some structural disadvantages but in the long term this could help the party revive itself. >> i definitely want to get to this before i let you go. >> sure. >> george p. bush, son of former governor jeb bush, does he have a shot at furthering his family's political dynasty, if you will? >> absolutely. 37-year-old. he is really the embodiment of what both parties are now looking for in texas in the future. a guy who is, you know, hispanic and white. he speaks both language

next generation politicians like wendy davis and george p.eady some of the stars we've focused on. but who haven't you seen? and who will shape the politics in the second-biggest state in the nation? these are the names you have to know right now. we'll start with three up-and-comers on the republican side. first up, dan patrick, the houston radio host who overtook david dewhurst to finish first for lieutenant governor tuesday. patrick is a tough conservative, tapping into gop frustration with the status quo. he's the favorite. by the way, if he's the next lieutenant governor, he will be dictating republican politics in that state for quite sometime. next up, scott turner. he's a tea party freshman in the texas statehouse, but his charisma could take him far. one colleague said turner is one of the few people who gets an ovation after delivering a prayer. by the way, he played nine seasons in the nfl. a third rising star to keep an eye on is state representative sarah davis. she was the only republican to oppose the controversial abortion bil

. >>> the votes have been counted in texas, wendy davis will face republican greg abbott.bbott has come under fire for campaigning with rock star ted nugent. >>> the state house with vote on a water protection spill in west virginia. robert and i have in charleston, and what does this bill specifically propose? >> reporter: del, it's been a long few days for the politicians here in west virginia, the bill went through the judiciary committee over the weekend, and then it hit the finance committee and sort of came to a bit of a halt, but basically it proposes that all above storage chemical tanks here in the state will be due to yearly inspections. there were a couple of things that were stripped that are a bit of controversy here right now. the finance committee removed long-term medical monitoring, which was a major thing that environmentalists, and citizens wanted, because they just weren't sure as to what the long-term effects of the chemicals that were spilled were. and early-warning system detection of chemicals into the river or water supply has always been removed.

wendy davis, and greg abbott won their primaries. doug core den defeated stockman.e faces a run off for what could be the third term. the next round of elections are set for may 27th. >> a family feud escalated into a lawsuit. an 18-year-old new jersey team is suing her parents for high school and college tuition. the court's decision could set a precedent for future parenting. >> teenagers and their parents are bound to have disagreements. they don't usually end up in course, it's not the case for the canings, 18-year-old rachel is suing her parents. her mum and dad ticked her out of the house, refusing to pay her tuition at a catholic high school where she's an honour student and is refusing to pay for college. rachel asked a judge to make them pay with present and future schooling along with $650 in child support, and $13,000 in legal fees. her attorney says rachel's parents had basically abandoned her. >> these people have not called her, not come to see her. they have not sent a penny to her. >> rachel's parents say that is not the case, arguing the teen left h

group in texas supporting gubernatorial candidate greg abbot, who's going up against state senator wendy davissaid women don't want the rhetoric that comes with an equal pay act. take a listen. >> we don't believe that lilly ledbetter act is what's going to solve that problem for women. women are extremely busy. we lead busy lives, whether working professionally or from home and times are extremely -- extremely busy. >> on monday, the executive director of the texas republican party tried to clarify the gop's solution to fair pay. take a listen. >> men are better negotiators and i would encourage women instead of pursuing the courts for action to become better negotiators. >> but this fight isn't only a problem, of course, in texas. we are seeing this nationwide. in fact, nia-malika henderson writes in an op-ed for the "washington post" "republicans have yet to figure out how to effectively push back on the democrats' war on women rhetoric. having conservative women in the conversation is a great start. it remains to be seen whether they will be better at selling the republican message and hel

. >>> growing up, actress wendy davis thought something was wrong with her. >> i had very low self-esteemt that i was defective, had a tough time staying seated in class. always found the window next to my desk and the things that were happening outside of the classroom far more interesting. >> it wasn't until her daughter kobe was diagnosed with adhd that davis discovered she had it too m too. she turned to the internet and found children and adults with attention deficit disorders or chadd. >> they provide research. they provide a wealth of information. it was a relief to read about how many people are living with adhd. >> through chad davis shares her story nationwide. her goal, eliminate the stigma she feels associated with adhd. >> i think a lot of people sort of keep this adhd thing in the closet. they don't want their children to share they have it or they don't get a diagnosis at all. i'm here for those kids who aren't feeling good about themselves to say you can be wildly successful. >> announcer: "impact your world" stories of giving back. ñ >>> we've been watching "the situatio

state senator wendy davis is expected to grab the democratic election for governor. they will see if any way democrats can win in a deeply red state. >>> this morning bad numbers for both parties. nearly 7 in 10 americans say republicans are out of touch with their needs from new "the washington post"/abc news poll put way below markings for democrats. on the issue? democrats hold a slight edge when it comes to helping the middle class and health care policy. voters are split evenly who is best for the economy. all that isn't translating into an advantage for the democrats, especially in those closely divided senate races. half of voters in states with a senate election say they prefer a republican candidate and 42% said they would vote for a democrat. >>> let's take you now to south africa where the murder trial of blade runner olympian winner oscar pistorious begins second day. powerful system from the athlete's neighbor marked day one. she said she heard four gunshots and a woman's blood curdling scream and the woman said the most helpless feeling she ever had in

. >> lot of national progressives focusing on wendy davis as somebody who can help turn texas purple but in texas, a lot of the attention is going on la dticia vande. she is a latina, getting support from republicans who are nervous that the person who could come out of the republican party primary would be too harsh in terms of immigration. so she's getting a lot of attention down there. the castro brothers obviously very happy with this potential turning texas purple. >> two biggest names in politics in terms of raising money are obama and clinton but there is a third name not behind those two, senator warren from massachusetts. she has so far been raising money mostly in her home state and here in washington, d.c. but i'm told that in this month she's actually taken to the road, she's going to raise money for sherrod brown of ohio, and senator al franken out in minnesota. one of the first forays we're seeing her make. some buzz about her possibly running for president in '16. she told me she's not going to do that. >> they always say they're not going to do it, then they go to tho

attorney general greg abbott will be the republican nominee for governor and will run against democrat wendy davis. democrats believe they have a chance to turn the state from red to blue for the first time in three decades. tuesday marked the blowout at mardi gras. the city had been celebrating since mid february. revelers had to deal with colder temperatures and rain. "america tonight" is coming up next. ". >> on american tonight, face-off, ratcheting up the pressure as ukrainian and forces with russian ties stand firm. the diplomatic temperature rises, too. also tonight, not so neighborly. the bay area's boon, while it's driving real estate prices to heights you won't believe. and residents right out of the neighborhood. >> we are here today to say that the city, the tech industry needs to work with tenants to do more to stop displacement and growing out of it. when aut

state senator wendy davis is expected to grab the democratic nomination for governor. analysts will be looking at results to see there is any way democrats can win come november in a deeply red state. >>> this morning, there are bad numbers for both parties. nearly seven in ten americans say republicans are out of touch with their needs. this from a new washington post abc news poll that puts the gop well below mark for the democrats. on the issue, democrats hold a slight edge when it comes to helping the middle class and health care policy. voters are split evenly on who is best for the economy. but all of that isn't translating into an advantage for the democrats, especially in the closely divided senate. half the voters in state where senate elections say they prefer a republican candidate. and 42% say they vote for a democrat. >>> we now take you to south africa where it is day two of the trial of blade runner olympian oscar pistorius accused of murdering his model girlfriend reeva steenkamp. nbc's chapman bell is in pretoria, south africa, covering the trial. what

mitch mcconnell referred to the drive in wendy davis, supposedly.the funny part is they were trashed for being trailer park trash and they were trashed for not being trailer park trash enough. [laughter] it's really something. >> it makes me feels so sad to women ultimately were rejected by women that historically i revere as having made a difference for women's rights in this country. was that possibly a class structure? >> totally. >> not totally. because all those women were middle class. they were not upper class. the movement was the minority. exotic and shapley and things that continue religious groups groups -- but the women's pride. clerking from that i would say educated background more so. and here come these two. for a while they were kind of its body. they were gorgeous and they were not ache and then when they said too many things, and absolutely couldn't stand it. i'm of course a lot of them -- [inaudible] they start explaining victoria for tat and she sends them a proof sheet saying if you don't lay off me this is a period not absolut

. >> the campaign for wendy davis is making that an issue. she currently trails abbott 42% to 49%. other republicans are weighing in on the equal pay debate. andrea keifer says, quote, we are losing the respect that we so dearly want in the workplace by bringing up all these special bills for women and almost making us look like whiners. minnesota house majority leader aaron murphy said, quote, too often women are branded as whiners. the reality is that women in minnesota and throughout our country face unique economic barriers and everyone deserves a fair chance at success. according to the institute for women's policy research in 2012, female full-time workers made only 77 cents for every dollar earned by men. it was a frightening scene in seattle yesterday. a tv news helicopter crashing into the street exploding into flam flames. this all happened in the street. two people were killed in that crash and a third individual was transported to the local hospital in critical condition suffering from extensive burns. >>> president obama has recognized the sacrifice of 24 veterans, the