Despite trailing in polls, gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis remains hopeful

RIO GRANDE VALLEY (KTRK) -- Most polls will tell you that Wendy Davis is trailing with just a few days to go in this race, but if you listen to her on the stump in the Rio Grande Valley, she'll tell you that the turnout down here will make a big difference come Tuesday night.

The Davis campaign made stops in four cities in a little more than four hours Thursday. With crowds chanting her name and applauding her key platform ideas on education, immigration, and voter's rights, the State Senator from Ft. Worth said she was encouraged by the turnout during early voting.

"I'm really excited about the energy we're seeing all over the state, five days out," she told Eyewitness News during a stop in Weslaco. "Of course, right now we're in the Rio Grande Valley where we've seen participation of voters increase over the 2010 election cycle in a very significant way."

Early voting has been a target for the Davis campaign, and Democrats, at least publicly, say they're encouraged here in the valley, and elsewhere. United States Representative Joaquin Castro of San Antonio traveled with Davis today and believes she'll surprise people on election day.

"The Valley is going to post a higher percentage of the overall state vote than you've seen in the past," he said, "which is a great thing because this area in the past had not come out in the numbers we like to see."

State Democratic party chair Gilberto Hinojosa said those numbers resonate elsewhere too. "We're seeing turnout increase in Bexar County, Tarrant County, and Dallas County."

Turnout may not be enough in a race where pollsters have Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott with a sizable lead. Davis is aware of those polls, but won't acknowledge their legitimacy. She does, however, repeatedly attack her opponent during remarks. She spends almost as much time talking about him as herself and is careful, when asked, not to characterize the tactic as negative.

"I think it's important for voters to understand the distinction between these candidates and it's been important part of our message to contrast who I am," she said. "A fighter for people. and a strong and long record of fighting for people versus Greg Abbott's record."

From Brownsville, Davis heads to Houston for a big event Thursday night. She'll also be there Friday morning before crisscrossing the state between now and Tuesday. She'll spend election day in her hometown Ft. Worth.