I forget that Ted's name isn't widely recognized outside of the legal community. As you noted, he used to work under Abbot. Specifically, he was the state's top appellate attorney, so he (and his office) handled all of the state's significant appeals in Texas, federal appellate courts, and the U.S. Supreme Court. I'm pretty sure that Ted has argued more cases before the U.S. Supreme Court than any other Texan (including the late Greg Coleman). He's likable, he speaks well, and he's smart.
While he's conservative, I wouldn't call him just another cog in the machine. Ted is not interchangeable, in that his experience, skills, and reputation cannot easily be replicated. Apart from the generic "conservative" label, I don't know a lot about his specific stances on issues.
