Wendy Davis Book Tour Reveals More About Her Life Story
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 NEWS) - As she enters the final two months of the campaign, Democratic candidate for Governor Wendy Davis is once again revealing more about her life in her newly released memoir, "Forgetting To Be Afraid."
Ms. Davis, who is now beginning a book tour told CBS 11 News, "This book is my personal story, it's my journey."
Davis tells about the time her mother, who was s single parent, considered killing herself and her three children. According to a release about the book, Davis' mother placed her three children at the time in the trunk of the family car that was parked in the garage. Her intent was to get in the vehicle and start the engine.
Ms. Davis told me, "I was an infant, likely she had post-partum depression, and she told us that story for her children to see when we go through dark times, we can get through them."
Davis says her mother got through it thanks to a caring neighbor. "He came to the door, he had never come over before. It's like he just understood he needed to be there, and he sat with her, and he talked with her and that moment of darkness for her passed."
Davis' new book made national headlines this past weekend. The current two-term State Senator from Fort Worth, spoke openly for the first time about terminating two pregnancies during the 1990's: a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy, and then two years later, a daughter who they named Tate Elise, who developed a severe brain abnormality.
"It was a tremendous blow for me, for Jeff, for our girls. We desperately looked for an answer," she said.
Davis said the abortions were the hardest decision she has ever or ever will have to make. "We knew because we made a decision out of love what the right thing for our family was."
Davis is running against Republican Greg Abbott to be the next governor of the State of Texas.
In a statement, Mr. Abbott said, "The unspeakable pain of losing a child is beyond tragic for any parent. As a father, I grieve for the Davis family and for the loss of life."
Mr. Abbott, the current Texas Attorney General, has his own personal story to tell about overcoming adversity. A tree limb fell on him while jogging in Houston when he was 26 -- partially paralyzing him.
Political analysts say Davis' new book is very much part of her campaign.
Davis insists her very personal stories are proof people can overcome serious challenges. She credits graduating college and Harvard Law School for turning her life around.
"I hope people will see why it is I fight so hard for education, for higher education, because it is the great equalizer, and for me, and my life, it made me who I am."
On Monday, Mr. Abbott's campaign manager, Wayne Hamilton, sent the Texas Ethics Commission a three-page letter questioning the legality of Ms. Davis' book tour. In the letter, Hamilton said, "Under Texas campaign finance laws, Blue Rider Press is a corporation, and is prohibited from making political contributions to candidates..."
Hamilton went on to say, "Because of the proximity of the book's publishing and the election, the candidate will be using political funds on voter contact at the same time the publisher is using corporate funds to promote the book..."
In response, Ms. Davis' communications director, Zac Petkanas, said, "We were very careful to follow every legal guideline. This frivolous stunt byby the Abbott campaign is the clearest sign yet how worried they are about the power of Wendy's story."
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