For a few months now I’ve been telling you folks that the candidate to watch in Texas is Senator Leticia Van de Putte.She’s hotter than road tar in August and she is damn set and determined tall to change the face of Texas politics. She has a favorite saying, “If Momma ain’t happy, nobody’s happy.”

She’s one tough Momma. There ain’t no slack in her fishin’ line.

She gained national attention the night of Senator Wendy Davis’ filibuster. Leticia (in Texas, it’s pronounced La-tea-see-uh with the accent on the tea) had just left her father’s funeral after a completely unexpected death. She came to the floor of the senate in an attempt to help prolong the filibuster after the Republicans tried to shut it down.

It was Leticia who set off the crowd.

If you watch it closely, you can see that she had a second sentence to say but she stopped and let things take their natural course. Rare is the politician who knows when to shuddup and trust the people to carry her message.

If I had to make a list of people not to get into a fight with, Superman would be #1, but Leticia would be #2. Okay, so maybe Godzilla would be #2, but she would definitely be #3. She’s funny, quick witted, smart, and tough as a three dollar steak.

So, it appears that the rest of the country is catching up to what we’ve known in Texas for a long time. Today’s Washington Post —

… on the ground in Texas, attention is shifting to San Antonio’s Van de Putte, who is running for lieutenant governor, a position that is in some ways the more powerful one in Texas, because that official presides over the Senate. Van de Putte is quietly emerging as a favorite among some Democrats, who see the Hispanic businesswoman and mother of seven as the more likely candidate who could help revive her party’s chances.

Now let me make it real clear that I adore Wendy Davis and I work for her election every damn day. All I’m saying is that it’s time we stop under-funding and under-appreciating Leticia Van de Putte. It is likely that any statewide Democrat who wins in Texas does it on Leticia’s coattails.

Trip on over and get on her mailing list. It doesn’t cost anything and it’s gonna make you smarter. Lord knows you need that.