Look at who's running for governor

AUSTIN -- With the filing period now closed, the slate gunning to be governor, the Texan in the Big Office at the State Capitol, features a field of 17 announced candidates.

That's right -- 17.

Gov. Greg Abbott, 59, the Republican incumbent, has two GOP challengers to his reelection bid, a guy who changed his name to SECEDE because he feels so strongly about Texas leaving the Union and a Plano woman who is little known. Abbott's campaign site

With well over $40 million in the bank and solid popularity in the polls, Abbott so far is the favorite -- over the Republicans and the 10 Democrats who are running against him.

On the Democratic Party side, the announced competition are mostly little-known long shots. Same for the two Libertarians and one Independent.

For the record, Abbott was born in Wichita Falls. Paralyzed from the waist down when a tree fell on him in Houston in 1984 while he was jogging, when he was a 26-year-old lawyer. Served as a state district judge, a Texas Supreme Court justice. Elected attorney general in 2001. Elected governor in 2015. Is a staunch conservative Republican -- fiscal, social and otherwise.

The rest of the field:

REPUBLICANS

Larry SECEDE Kilgore

Party: Republican   Age: 52   Hometown: Arlington

Bio: Announced during the summer. Amarillo native. Air Force veteran. Telecommunications contractor. Ran unsuccessfully for Senate in 2008, and for governor in 2006 and 2014. Platform calls for Texas to secede from the United States. Also opposes abortion, wants government out of schooling for children, wants to close prisons, end Social Security and cut welfare. Campaign site

Quote: According to his campaign website, Kilgore's "passion for secession is fueled by his enmity and heartbreak towards the evils of abortion, both excessive and unlawful taxation, and social security. His desire to free Texas ran so deep that in December of 2012 he legally changed his middle name to SECEDE and has been fervently advocating for secession ever since."

Barbara Krueger

Party: Republican   Age: NA   Hometown: Plano

Bio: NA. Republican Party of Texas officials say they have no information on her.

Quote: NA

DEMOCRATS

James Jolly Clark

Party: Democrat   Age: 77   Hometown: Austin

Bio: Austin businessman.

Quote: NA

Cedric Davis Sr.

Party: Democrat   Age: 50   Hometown: Balch Springs

Bio: Dallas native. Father of five. Desert Storm vet. Former police chief of Wilmer-Hutchins ISD, and chief of security for asset-protection firm. First African-American mayor of Balch Springs, a small town outside Dallas. Works for Garland Independent School District. Ran unsuccessfully for Texas House seat in 2006. Campaign site.

Quote: "I am running for for Governor because it is life long dream since age fourteen to do so, and secondly, to inspire a campaign without hate, a campaign is just another campaign if it does not inspire an inclusive movement, an inspired inclusive movement can ignite a revolution. So people of Texas no matter if you're black, white, brown, red, or blue it's our time to stand as one voice to ignite an inclusive Texas revolution to protect the peoples interest for generations to come."

Joe Mumbach

Party: Democrat   Age: 68   Hometown: Houston

Bio:  Former Beaumont restaurant owner.  Audio-video business owner, Southern Star Satellite and Sound. Great granddaughter born Dec. 11, telling her to call him "Grandpa Governor." Facebook campaign page.

Quote: NA

Adrian Ocegueda

Party: Democrat   Age: 42   Hometown: Flower Mound

Bio: El Paso native. Princeton University and Southern Methodist University graduate. Father of two. Former city economic program analyst in El Paso and policy advisor to mayor. Principal of Dallas-based Lone Star Investment Advisers, a private equity firm. Campaign site

Quote: "I am running for Governor because I feel that there are structural problems that need to be addressed in our Government and Economic systems. This will require new leadership that can focus our legislature on both, attending to short-term budgetary sources and uses for education, transportation, healthcare, natural disaster response, etc. as well as on the larger structural issues that need to be examined and repaired in order to develop long-term solutions."

Jeffrey Payne

Party: Democrat   Age: 49   Hometown: Dallas

Bio: Announced in July. Louisiana native. Openly gay. Owns a leather bar. Was named Mr. Leather International in 2009. Owns several successful businesses, and says he plans to put $2 million of his own money into the campaign. Says he is running even through the party declined to make him their standard-bearer earlier this year. Campaign site

Quote: "I am tired of politics as usual in Texas . . . We know it's an uphill battle ... in a deeply red state. But a lot of Texans are feeling like they've been left behind with the divisive politics in Texas now. I believe I can change that."

Demetria Smith

Party: Democrat   Age: 44   Hometown: Houston

Bio: Houston native. Has worked as a mortgage broker. Classifies herself as an "independent Democrat." Says her theme is "Your constitutional candidate. Rebuild, restructure and create."  Campaign site.

Quote: "To promote, execute; justice, accountability & public integrity. I will be a governor that will actually honor, protect, and uphold the United (States) Constitution for the American people . . . I was led to the jump in to this race due to the national unconstitutional and unjustified killings of American citizens in which led me in tears and much frustration each time I saw these events or heard about it. It just pissed me off, so I decided to do something about it to make that change and here I am now running for all of Texas citizens however the unjustified killings just moved me into the direction of holding all public servants leaders accountable. Together we can turn Texas Blue."

Guadalupe "Lupe" Valdez

Party: Democrat   Age: 70   Hometown: Dallas

Bio: Announced days before the filing period closed. Openly gay. San Antonio native. Daughter of migrant farm workers. Served as Dallas County sheriff since 2005, and resigned to run for governor. Served in U.S. Army to rank of captain. Worked as a jailer, as an investigator for several federal agencies including the U.S. Customs Bureau where she led a smuggling-buster unit. Retired to become sheriff. Opposes ban on sanctuary cities, supports LGBTQ initiatives. Campaign site.

Quote: ""Opportunity in Texas ought to be as big as this great state, but it is out of reach for far too many, that's why I'm running for Texas Governor. I'm a proud Texas Democrat. I believe good government can make people's lives better, and I intend to do just that."

Tom Wakely

Party: Democrat   Age: 64   Hometown: San Antonio

Bio: Announced in July. San Antonio native. Vietnam-era Air Force veteran. Served as a minister in the Unitarian Universalist Church and once owned a wine bar and jazz club in Mexico. Now runs a hospice business. Self-described progressive populist who supported Democrat Bernie Sanders in last year's presidential campaign. Says he will be like "Bernie Sanders in a cowboy hat." Ran unsuccessfully last year as a Democrat against incumbent U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, a Republican. Campaign site.

Quote:"I am running for Governor because the working men and women of Texas have been ignored way too long by both Democrats and Republicans. I am running to change the direction of the Democratic party. If we want to stop losing elections, we must stop putting forth candidates for office who run from the right, candidates like Andrew White who is running for governor and Mike Collier, who is running for Lt. Governor. Nor can we continue to run from the center. The triangulation strategy is no longer a viable strategy and as long as candidates like Lupe Valdez who run for office from the center, we will continue to lose elections. If we want to reach the 62 percent of non-voters and win elections, we must run from the left. We must put forth bold, progressive ideas."

Andrew White

Party: Democrat   Age: 45   Hometown: Houston

Bio: Announced in October as likely candidate. Houston native. Son of  the late former Gov. Mark White. Entrepreneur. Says he is considering a race to get Texas back on the right track, away from divisive issues such as the bathroom bill that detract from achieving Texas excellence. Promises to bring an outsider, business-oriented focus to state government. "It's easy to create division. It takes a leader to build consensus. Let's take a 4-year break from what divides us and come together as Texans to restore our state's leadership in jobs, education, and prosperity." Campaign site.

Quote: "I've never been elected to anything. So I thought I'd start with Governor."

Grady Yarbrough

Party: Democrat   Age: 80   Hometown: Flint

Bio: Born in Smith County. Grew up in Tyler. Father of three. Graduate of Texas College and Prairie View A&M University. Taught school in Chicago, Tyler and San Antonio, where he retired several years ago. Ran unsuccessfully for land commissioner in 1986 and 1990 as a Republican, as a Democrat for state treasurer in 1994, for U.S. Senate in 2012 and Texas Railroad Commission in 2016. Campaign Facebook page

Quote: None.

LIBERTARIANS

Kathie Glass

Party: Libertarian   Age: 63   Hometown: Houston

Bio: Announced in September. Native Georgian. Retired lawyer. Ran unsuccessfully for governor as a Libertarian  in 2010 and 2014, and unsuccessfully for the Texas Supreme Court last year. Thinks this will be the year she can draw together a coalition of disaffected Republicans and Democrats to win. Campaign site

Quote: "I am a Texan, patriot, wife, mother, lawyer, self-made woman, business owner . . . Washington is broken, and the two party system is corrupt — corrupted by cronyism and special interests. Neither will fix itself. And neither can be reformed from within."

Kory Watkins

Party: Libertarian   Age:  34    Hometown: Mansfield

Bio: Announced during the summer. Perhaps best known as an outspoken, Fedora-wearing proponent of an open carry law for firearms who showed up in public places carrying AK-47s and other long rifles. Unable to get a state concealed handgun permit because of a theft conviction when he was 17. Opposes taxation ("Taxation is theft") and supports the legalization of marijuana and transparency in government. Ran unsuccessfully in 2014 for the Mansfield school board, and has served as a Republican precinct chair. Motto is "Love, freedom, innovation." Campaign site

Quote: "I believe property taxes should be eliminated and all other taxes need to be reduced as quickly as possible all the way down to zero. If a service is good enough, people will support it. Good ideas don't require force."

INDEPENDENTS

Byron Bradford

Party: Independent    Age:  46     Hometown: Plano

Bio: Born in Corsicana. A 28-year Army veteran, including combat tours in Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Small-business owner. Supports increased funding for education, making healthcare affordable and accessible to all Texans, cutting unemployment and improved job training for Texans. Wants to bring "sustainable, long-term employment" to Texas, and wants ensure the citizens of Texas feel safe in their communities." Acknowledges his campaign is a "work in progress," but says, "I'm not a politician, I'm a concerned Texan who wants make a difference." On a recent GoFundMe page, he raised just $345 for his campaign. Campaign site

Quote: "A diverse governor for a diverse Texas . . . In three years (under Gov. Abbott), we've declined in every single area that's vital to our state."

Thor Harris

Party: Unclear    Age: 52    Hometown: Austin

Bio: Announced via Twitter in August. LaPorte native. Musician, painter and carpenter. Has listed his profession as 'multi-instrumentalist." His band is named "Thor and Friends" and he plays with the influential experimental rock band Swans. Supports tax breaks for solar, higher taxes for the petroleum industry, has had some choice words for Republican officeholders on his Twitter feed. Endorsed by Texas rock band Explosions in the Sky.

Quote: "Hate has no safe place."