By ANNA PALMER and KATIE GLUECK for POLITICO – Democrats are publicly rooting for Wendy Davis to turn Texas blue.

But privately, many of her supporters are resigned to her losing. And, already, some political operatives are pondering how she can stay politically relevant beyond November.

Davis is down by 12 points to opponent Greg Abbott in the race for governor, a disadvantage that many liberals believe could mean a blow-out in November.

But even if Davis suffers a big loss, she could still score a win for her political career — setting herself up as an important player in the party regardless of the final score.

It’s a political path followed by many candidates of both parties — from Sarah Palin to Mike Huckabee — who gain political power and influence even after losing an election.

Texas State Teachers Association public affairs director Ed Martin, who has worked for years in Texas politics with Davis, said her future is bright.

“She learns, she acts and she gets stuff done,” said Martin, a veteran in Texas politics, of Davis, who he still thinks can win. “She has every skill that is needed to be governor, so I would suspect she would have every skill to pursue a wide range of opportunities.”

Still, the jockeying for Davis is just a matter of time.

Liberal groups hope she would raise money, recruit candidates and become a much-needed new face for abortion rights. Several Democratic strategists say her growing national fame, fundraising prowess and extensive list of loyal followers could set her up for a long career in national Democratic politics. And political operatives in Texas hope Davis stays put in the Lone Star State as they try to turn it into a Democratic stronghold.

“She’ll have a life afterward,” said one veteran Democratic strategist. “She will have a formidable database on her hands. She really is attracting probably more individuals supportive of her campaign than any other Democratic candidate in recent times from Texas.”

That database means that Davis will continue to be a fundraising powerhouse and her endorsement of candidates will carry weight with activists across the country.

(Also on POLITICO: Davis gets new campaign manager)

Jason Stanford, a Texas-based Democratic consultant who worked on the unsuccessful re-election campaign of Gov. Ann Richards in 1994, said he didn’t want to speculate on Davis’ next steps — but, he added, “after Ann lost, she didn’t know what kind of future she had. It turned out she became even more influential than she had been as governor. Wendy Davis doesn’t even know what her options are right now — a lot depends on where the campaign goes.”

If Davis loses it doesn’t necessarily mean her days in public office are over. Several Democratic strategists pointed to Davis as a viable 2018 challenger to Republican Sen. Ted Cruz.

“I do get the sense that she might be slightly ahead of Texas’ time as it’s trending politically,” said David DiMartino, a veteran Democratic strategist. “There is no question it is trending blue, but it’s got a long way to get there. She might be slightly ahead of that wave, but that doesn’t mean she can’t come back.”

via Dems see bright future even in a loss – Anna Palmer and Katie Glueck – POLITICO.com.