Do Democrats have Dream Team II with Van de Putte?

After pleading, expectation and hope, Texas State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte has made it official: She's following fellow state senator Wendy Davis and running for lieutenant governor, according to the Dallas Morning News.

Assuming both win the Democratic primary, it can only strengthen the general election ticket.

Slater notes two points. One is that Van de Putte spoke out during the pro-choice filibuster in the Texas Senate this summer:

When the Republican lieutenant governor failed to recognize Van de Putte to speak from the floor of the Senate, she said: “At what point must a female senator raise her hand or her voice to be recognized over her male colleagues?” 

That comment back to Dudley Dewless needs to be part of the repeatedly hammered effort to recruit moderate woman voters. When GOP state Comptroller Susan Combs says the GOP has a "below the waist" problem, this is ripe for the picking.

But, per VDP, the focus needs to be on larger women's rights and not narrowly on pro-choice issues.

Second point of Slater:

Strategists say the addition of Van de Putte, a Latina with substantial political experience, could help mobilize Hispanic voters the Democratic Party needs if it hopes to break two decades of GOP political dominance in the state.

Indeed, and she's an authentic Democrat, unlike guv candidate Tony Sanchez of original Dream Team touting in 2002.

Another plus is that, even though guv and light guv technically are elected separately, VDP might help keep Davis from pandering to conservatives.

None of this guarantees anything, of course.

Other than 3 GOP Lite Guv candidates having one more reason to be pissed at Dudley Dewless (Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst) for allegedly botching that special session.