TX-Sen: John Sharp Will Run For Hutchison’s Seat

Burnt Orange has the press release:

“I will be a candidate whether the election is in 2012 or any time before then,” said Sharp, who received the highest percentage of votes statewide of any Democrat during the past decade. “Texans face tough challenges that call for innovative solutions, and that’s what our campaign is all about.”

Sharp, 58, said he is forgoing the step of forming an exploratory committee and will file the required papers on January 1 so that he can begin raising money and campaigning across the state with the dawn of the new year.

Sharp, a former state comptroller, has the distinction of being the last Democrat to ever win a statewide race in Texas, but he’s since lost two races for Lieutenant Governor (’98 and ’02). The early announcement seems timed to chase off Houston Mayor Bill White, who has also been talked about as a potentially strong candidate for whichever office Kay Bailey Hutchison does not run for:

Houston Mayor Bill White is also mentioned as a potential Democratic candidate. And Sharp’s early announcement appeared geared at discouraging White or other Democrats from entering the race. Among Republicans who might run are Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, former Secretary of State Roger Williams, Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams, Fort Worth Rep. Kay Granger and Texas Sen. Florence Shapiro.

If KBH does indeed resign to wage a primary campaign against Gov. Rick Perry, it’s also possible that other Democrats can join the fray. Indeed, in the 1993 special election to fill the seat of Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, there were 24 candidates on the first ballot. While Perry will appoint a replacement for Hutchison, I doubt that whoever he picks will have enough gravitas to hold off a swarm of fellow Republicans who’d want to take a crack at the seat. This one could be wild.

7 thoughts on “TX-Sen: John Sharp Will Run For Hutchison’s Seat”

  1. That’s the type of attitude you hope to see from all potential Senate candidates–no waffling. He wants to do it so he announces early, signs up on the earliest day possible, and begins to build momentum. He seems like the type we can all quickly get behind regardless of whether he’s the best candidate. It seems like he has the Party’s best interest in mind and not his own. Hopefully more of this to come in Missouri, Kansas, and North Carolina with Carnahan, Sebelius, and Cooper.

  2. He ran against Perry as Lt. Gov in 1998 and for the same office in 2002, and lost both. Maybe a fresh face will do but then he has some name ID and I’m not sure he’s stuck with any type of loser stench. THing is KBH won’t give up her seat unless she beats Perry and I’m curious as to whether she’ll wait till right when she is sworn in as governor to declare the seat open and make an appointment. If Perry gets to make the appointment, then he could tap Dewhurst, whom I think, will beat Sharp (against White it’s 50/50). No Dem will beat KBH and I’m not sure a DEm would beat an weakened Perry. The real question is which is the easiest seat: I’d rank it (Depending on if its open) as follows: Lt. Gov, Senate and then Gov. A White-Dewhurst matchup may be closer than a Sharp-Dewhurst matchup (they’ve run against each other before), but everything has to break for the Dem to win statewide in TX.  

  3. Sharp is not a bad candidate and I suspect he would run a credible race.  I’m not yet convinced he’s our strongest candidate however.  After watching this last election cycle, I’m becoming more and more convinced that contested primaries are, more likely than not, positive for the winner, especially when the potential candidates do not already have big name recognition.  I’m still in wait and see mode.

  4. not “Hutchison”.  You are confusing Kay Bailey’s last name with that of Tim Hutchison, former GOP senator from Arkansas.

  5. I want Chuck Norris to run for the GOP!  (snark)

    http://www.associatedcontent.c

    Seriously though Sharp makes sense.  What about a couple of good candidates over the last few cycles who did not get enough press to win like Michael Skelly or Shane Sklar?

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