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.