Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison continues to be coy about her future.
Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and former Democratic Gov. Ann Richards don’t agree on much.
But they both feel like it’s time to return to Texas and get a dog.
For Ms. Hutchison, a longtime senator who has recently adopted two children, returning home could mean taking on Republican Gov. Rick Perry in 2006.
On Friday she told more than 200 women gathered at the Women’s Museum for a conversation between her and Ms. Richards that she was considering a 2006 campaign for governor.
The comments were yet another indication that she is aiming for the governor’s mansion.
“I haven’t made a decision. I’m looking at all options – one of which is to make money,” she said.
“There’s something very satisfying in that,” Ms. Richards said about making money.
Ms. Richards, who lives in New York, shared the stage with the senator.
She gave Ms. Hutchison tips about living as governor.
“Let me tell you something about the governor’s mansion: It is really old,” she said. “Raising those two little kids in the governor’s mansion, you’re going to have to put something over the furniture. It’s very fragile and very delicate.”
Ms. Hutchison said her children would impact her decision.
“It has changed my life,” she said. “Maybe it’s time for me to come home and get a dog.”
While everyone gets in a lather about KBH potentially challenging Rick Perry in a gubernatorial primary in 2006, I think there’s at least as good a chance that she may just quit and find a nice cushy high-paying private sector job. She’s 60, she’s got two kids now, she may be thinking it’s time to ease back on the throttle, cash in on her fame and connections, and raise a few bucks for retirement and their college fund. Just a thought.
If KBH retires, which I think is likely, from a Republican perspective the question is going to be which two of these three will end up as the nominees for the empty Senate seat and the governor’s mansion – Rick Perry, Carole K. Strayhorn, and Greg Abbott.
If Perry jumps into the Senate race, throw Dewhurst into the mix for the governor’s mansion.
Abbott backed out of the Lt. Gov.’s race last time around, but I think he would run for that Senate seat even if it means facing Perry. Abbott likely doesn’t want to wait too long to make that move and good soldier or not, he doesn’t want to have to worry about waiting behind a pair of relatively young Republican Senators.
Politicial Rumblings in Texas
Charles has some posts today about some interesting stories developing in Texas electoral politics. In another sign of Republican discontent with Governor Perry, Kay Bailey Hutchison hinted yesterday (to Ann Richards of all people) that she was conside…