Texas Pols Waiting for Hutch to Make a Move

The Amarillo Globe-News' Enrique Rangel notes that more than a dozen Texas politicians are waiting with bated breath for KBH to resign from the Senate. http://www.amarillo.com/stories/072009/new_news6.shtml.

According to the column, KBH is facing pressure from fellow GOP senators to stay put for a while, but she also needs to return to Texas if she hopes to win next year's primary battle against Perry.

All the while, a cadre Texas GOPers are lining up to run for KBH's Senate seat:

"Republicans who would like to take her seat are: Republicans Lt. Gov. David David Dewhurst, Railroad Commissioners Elizabeth Ames Jones and Michael Williams, state Sen. Florence Shapiro and former Texas Secretary of State Roger Williams. The Democrats are former State Comptroller John Sharp and Houston Mayor Bill White. All these folks have or can raise the money needed to run credible campaigns.

But that is not the end of the story. Just as Dewhurst is counting on Hutchison to resign so that he can announce his candidacy, other folks want to know if he will not seek re-election so they can run for lieutenant governor, especially Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, a fellow Republican.

And if Abbott runs for lieutenant governor, former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz and state Rep. Dan Branch of Dallas, both Republicans, hope to succeed him. In the Democratic camp, state Sen. Royce West of Dallas also is expected to run for attorney general."

Rumor has it that KBH would prefer fellow Dallasite Florence Shapiro replace her in the Senate.

According to the Texas Election Code, §§ 204.003 and 204.005, if Hutchison resigns on or before Dec. 30, 2009, a special election will be held for the remainder of her unexpired term (ending Jan 2013). Under Texas law, the special election would be held on May 8, 2010 (Tex. Elec. Code § 41.001). If she resigns after Dec. 30, 2009, her replacement will be determined on November 3, 2010. In either event, Perry will make an interim replacement if Congress is in session.

It is this blogger’s opinion that a special election would be advantageous to Republicans generally and KBH specifically. A truncated primary would ameliorate the inevitable in-fighting among all of the Republican candidates. Plus, the time limitations prevent Houston Mayor Bill White from gaining the state-wide name recognition he would need to even be competitive.

For KBH, a special election for HER seat keeps her the focus of the news cycle while crowding Perry out.