Just days after former state Comptroller John Sharp threw his hat into the ring for the Senate seat that Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison may vacate soon, the Houston Chronicle reports that Houston Mayor Bill White will join the race shortly:
Mayor Bill White has decided to seek the U.S. Senate seat held by Kay Bailey Hutchison, should the two-term Republican resign next year to challenge the sitting governor, the Houston Chronicle has learned.
Ending months of speculation about his political future, White plans to announce his intentions at an event next week, according to several sources close to the mayor. […]
White, a third-term mayor and former state Democratic Party chair, has been discussed for years as a possible gubernatorial candidate, in part because of his appeal as a popular, moderate leader from the state’s largest city.
Many political observers in Texas speculate that KBH will resign from the Senate sometime during the next year, which would trigger a free-for-all special election without party primaries. You can expect a lot of candidates to throw their hats into the ring if such a scenario occurs; in a 1961 Texas Senate special election, over 70 candidates ran for the vacant seat, and a much more modest list 24 names appeared on the pre-runoff 1993 special election ballot.
(H/T: Senate Guru)
Perhaps our most electable choice. Do you really think that Kay Bailey will resign in order to run, though? Seems unlikely she’d give up her seat until she’s Governor, especially given the distinct possibility that the wing nut base could give the primary to Perry.
That said, I almost think it would be better if the election were held after the midterms. We’d probably already have sixty, and thus the election would not be for complete control of the federal government. I think arguing that White should be the sixtieth Democratic Senator would be a tough sell.
(By the way, I’m assuming that Franken wins in this scenario.)
between Sharp and White, so long as it doesn’t get too nasty, would be could for the Texas Dems, I think.
Would be us winning back the very Senate seat that Lloyd Bentsen once held, the Senate seat we lost to KBH in 1993. I’m so ready to make this happen! 😉