The Chris Bell for SD17 train gets ready to leave the station.

Democrat Chris Bell, a former Houston congressman who made an unsuccessful bid for governor two years ago, is expected to take a big step today toward a run for a Texas Senate seat now in Republican hands.

Bell will file official paperwork to set up a campaign committee and appoint a campaign treasurer for a possible run for the District 17 seat recently vacated by Kyle Janek, said Jason Stanford, Bell's political consultant.

"Yes, he's leaning toward it and is probably going to make an announcement later this month," Stanford said. "It's not often that a Democrat gets a chance like this."

[...]

News of Bell's potential interest in the seat has been reported for nearly two months, but invitations sent out last week for a July 24 reception for Democrat Joe Jaworski, a former Galveston City Council member running against GOP state Sen. Mike Jackson of La Porte, mentioned that Bell might also soon be a state Senate candidate.

On a side note, Wendy Davis and a group of supporters held a rally outside State Sen. Kim Brimer's office today to urge him to request a speedy judgment in his suit to boot her off the ballot. I've reproduced the press release beneath the fold.

UPDATE: PoliTex has more from Wendy Davis' press conference, including audio.

Today, voters from across Tarrant County joined Wendy Davis on the steps of the Tarrant County Courthouse to call on Kim Brimer to end the political gimmicks and request that the court immediately call a hearing to resolve Brimer's baseless lawsuit. Last Friday, Brimer dusted off the same old lawsuit that was rejected by the courts in January. "This is the latest example of Kim Brimer's brand of loophole leadership that has left voters frustrated and hungry for positive change," said Davis. In recent weeks, Brimer has offered no explanation for the ethical and the leadership failures that continue to plague his campaign and instead resorts to legal maneuvers to avoid being held accountable. His actions demonstrate his concern about a recent Davis campaign poll which confirms a trend reported early by two independent polls. Brimer is relatively unknown, his job performance is rated as poor, and voters are prepared for a change. "Senator Brimer, I stand here with the very people you ignore while in Austin and now seek to silence at the ballot box. We are ready!" said Davis, "We ask you to stop hiding behind lawyers and political consultants and step forward to demand that this lawsuit is handled immediately so that we can address the issues important to Tarrant County families." "It is no wonder that so few voters know Kim Brimer and those that do, do not like what they know. He continues to hide behind the veil of baseless lawsuits and cowers behind political consultants and lawyers instead of working to resolve the everyday problems that Texas families face," said Matt Latham, Davis's campaign manager.