June 17, 2005
Hutchison will run for re-election

That sound you heare is an awful lot of Republican dominoes not falling down.


Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison announced Friday that she will seek a third term in the U.S. Senate, declining to wage a difficult battle against Gov. Rick Perry in next year's GOP primary.

Ms. Hutchison decided only Friday to stay put, ending months of speculation that she would challenge the incumbent in a fractious campaign for governor. She scheduled a news conference for June 27 to explain her decision.

"She's doing it because she thinks it's best for Texas," said spokesman Chris Paulitz.

Ms. Hutchison, who would be expected to cruise to re-election with little opposition, could rise to the No. 3 position in the GOP leadership in the Senate, said one person familiar with her thinking said was a factor.

[...]

Ms. Hutchison's decision has implications for a number of other Texas Republican politicians, whose plans depended on the domino effect a run for governor would have set in motion.

For instance, Rep. Henry Bonilla, R-San Antonio, has been raising money and rounding up support for months to run for Senate if she left the seat open. Mr. Bonilla instead will seek re-election.


So then. It's late and I'll have more to say tomorrow. For now, two thoughts:

1. Carole Keeton Strayhorn won't beat Rick Perry in the gubernatorial primary, but she will beat him up, and she'll do better than you might think.

2. Barbara Radnofsky is highly unlikely to get any more competition for the Democratic Senate nomination (at this point I'm not sure what Juan Garcia is up to). KBH hasn't really ever been challenged for reelection before, but I think she too is in for more of a battle than you might think.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on June 17, 2005 to Election 2006 | TrackBack
Comments

From http://www.garciafortexas.com/

"The site is temporarily down for routine maintenance and will be back up shortly."

Hmmmmm?

Posted by: blank on June 18, 2005 12:34 AM

If "shortly" means the same thing it did last month when it said the same thing, I'm doubtful of Garcia's political acumen already (assuming he really wants to run for Senate). Good guy by all appearances, but if this is an indication of how he's going to promote himself ....

Posted by: Greg Wythe on June 18, 2005 4:33 PM

Juan Garcia is not going to end his political career befofre it begins by taking on Hutchison. He will find a way to serve, but this challenge isn't it.

Posted by: Zangwell Arrow on June 18, 2005 5:19 PM

The Goliath of KB Hutchison has a whole slew of ordinarily steadfast Democrats shaking in their boots like a bunch of whipped puppies who just got caught peeing on the divan. Anyone care to unzip and show that there's something dangling down there behind that zipper?

Put some analysis to the matter--Hutchison is running because an open Senate seat challenged by a moderate, kick-ass, savvy, issues-oriented problem-solver could put paid to the whole damned house of cards. A successful revolt in Texas is the end of life as they know it.

Karl Rove and Dave Beckwith know what's at stake, and have brass-knuckled Hutchison into doing something she despises and doesn't want to do--run for re-election. That's the highest mark of fear any Democratic candidate has been paid since Ann Richards.

Instead of whimpering about the inevitability of Hutchison's re-election, a self-defeating proposition if there ever was one, why not take some of those "Bring 'em on" pills, gut up, and dig in for a dogfight. If Barbara can continue to turn up moderate and independent voters who really want a voice for real issues in Washington, Hutchison will have the fight of her life. And we know which of the two candidates has a quarter-century's experience in the trenches.

This one's winnable, guys--unless the very people for whom the campaign's being run pile on against it and do Goliath's work for her.

Posted by: Seth Davidson on June 20, 2005 2:17 PM