Waiting for KBH: A step in the Senate

There are some new tea leaves to read in the continuing saga of whether or not Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison will run for Governor in 2010.

Hutchison, R-Texas, said earlier this year that she did not plan to seek re-election to her Senate seat in 2012. Since then, she has hinted about a race for governor, regardless of whether Republican Gov. Rick Perry seeks re-election.

In a further indication of her intentions, Hutchison said Thursday, "In order explore new opportunities that many Texans have asked me to consider, I informed my colleagues in the Senate today that I would not seek re-election as chair of the Republican Policy Committee."

While Hutchison has not formally announced her intention to run for governor or create an exploratory committee, a Senate source said she is forming such a committee, and her decision not to seek the leadership post again next year was a major step toward that end.

Texas law doesn't include a provision for establishing an exploratory committee, as federal law does. But Texas requires individuals who announce for state elective office to designate a campaign treasurer. Hutchison has not yet done so, said Tim Sorrells, deputy general counsel for the Texas Ethics Commission.

Skeptical as I've been of KBH's gubernatorial plans, I must admit this seems like a real step forward. It's still not a commitment - when she resigns from the Senate, that will be a commitment - but it is clearing the path a bit towards a commitment. I'm still not convinced that she won't just decide to call it a career as an elected official so she can take a lucrative lobbyist job and finally start making some real dough spend more time with her family. But maybe she will eventually prove me wrong about that.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on September 25, 2008 to Election 2010