GOP candidates for Texas Lt. Governor Compete for 'Toughest on Border Control'

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Four GOP candidates for Lt. Governor in Texas are trying to out-hardline each other when it comes to securing Texas' southern border with Mexico. Current Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst is facing challenges from Sen. Dan Patrick, Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson and Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples.
The winner of the four-way primary battle will presumably face Democratic Sen. Leticia Van de Putte in the General Election. In stark contrast to her potential Republican rivals, Van de Putte's campaign Web site does not mention border security as one of her top priorities, though she does mention "securing communities" and touts her past battles and commitment to fighting human trafficking.
The Republican field, responding to Texans' professed concerns about the border, are each promising to be tough on those attempting to come in to the Lone Star State across the Rio Grande illegally. Texas does have the distinction of being a major staging ground for narcotics cartels who are trying to move their product inland to other states.

Dewhurst says he is a huge proponent of tighter border control and lays the blame for the lack of it squarely on the Obama administration.

"I've repeatedly called for doubling or tripling the size of the number of our border patrol agents on the borders," Dewhurst said in a press conference. "But I've become convinced that Washington, and this president, will never close our borders to illegal activities."

Dewhurst is calling for a "continuous surge" operation to completely close off illegal incursions from Mexico.

But Sen. Patrick says that Dewhurst's interest in border security is a Johnny-come-lately proposition.

"Over the last ten years, David Dewhurst has failed to secure our border and stood by as our illegal immigration problem got much worse," Patrick says on his campaign Web site. "For a decade, Dewhurst has allowed programs that attract illegals to Texas like in-state tuition to expand and even reduced funding for border security and organized crime in the Department of Public Safety budget.

"After adopting a budget that cut spending for border security, and ardently defending it as an increase, Dewhurst duplicity now becomes apparent. He has finally recognized the failure of this budget and is scrambling to fix the problem."

Ag. Comm. Staples is targeting tuition and pointing the finger at Washington as well.

"When it comes to border security, the politicians in both parties have let us down," said Staples in a radio ad. "That's why I developed a six-point plan to reform our immigration system that starts with real border security and does not include amnesty."

Staples is calling for more border patrol agents in the State of Texas, a repeal of in-state tuition for undocumented students, prohibition of "sanctuary city" policies, bolstering the presence of the national guard as well as putting pressure on Washington, D.C. to control border security more effectively.

Land Comm. Patterson is also calling for more border security which includes a physical barrier as well as a military presence, but is a stalwart supporter of the "Texas Solution," an immigration approach that also includes a guest worker program.

"In June 2012, at the Republican Party of Texas Convention in Fort Worth, I was the only Republican elected official to speak to the Platform Committee and to the approximately 8,000 member delegation in favor of adopting the 'Texas Solution' immigration plank in our Texas Republican Party Platform," Patterson says on his Web site. "During the floor debate, several key votes were taken on the Texas Solution. By their votes, Convention delegates voted overwhelmingly to support the Texas Solution."

Republican candidates will have to walk a tightrope in discussing the matter as Texas' Hispanic voting bloc grows stronger each year. GOP candidates must be able to project themselves as being hard on crime and contraband that comes in across the Rio Grande without seeming "anti-immigrant" in a state that continues to contain more immigrants than most in the United States.