October 16, 2007
Hutchison May Leave Senate In 2009
The latest retirement rumors swirling around the Senate are again focused on one of that chamber's most high-profile Republican members -- Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.
In a recent interview with Texas Monthly Editor Evan Smith, Hutchison admitted that she was seriously considering a run for the Texas governorship in 2010. "I haven't made a commitment in any way because it's just too early -- it's too early to be gearing up," Hutchison said of the gubernatorial rumors. "Would I like to do it? Yes. A lot of things have to happen to make it a reality. You can't plan that far ahead with certainty."
Hutchison did say one thing with certainty: She will not seek re-election to the Senate when her current term is up in 2012, whether she runs for governor or not. "So is it better for Texas for me to leave early and give someone else a chance to start building seniority before the class of 2013? I think it probably is."
When asked if she'd step down in 2009, Hutchison replied, "I think that has to be considered. But there's been no decision." Excerpts of her interview are available on Texas Monthly's blog; the full text is slated to run in the magazine's December issue.
In last year's midterm elections, the popular Texas conservative was handily re-elected to a third term with more than 60 percent of the vote. Incumbent GOP Gov. Rick Perry, on the other hand, struggled to hold on to his seat amid stiff competition from three general-election challengers. He is widely expected to step down when his term is up in 2010, although he has not formally announced his plans.
In the interview, the senior senator from Texas admitted to being "humbled by the number of people who believe we need leadership in Texas that I can provide." Hutchison, who also serves as chairwoman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, was floated as a gubernatorial challenger back in 2006. She suggested in the interview that she hadn't been ready then, but that by 2010 she would "have a vision and a plan" for a run at the office.
It may seem early to start looking so far ahead, but it's never too early to start taking an interest in the ever-entertaining world of Texas politics. After all, Hutchison isn't the only high-profile figure publicly mulling a bid for the governor's mansion. Colorful '06 independent candidate Kinky Friedman, who pulled in 12 percent of the vote with his "Why The Hell Not?" platform, also says he might run.
Earlier this month, Bloomberg News' Catherine Smith asked Friedman when he'd make it official. "I've got a period of time. I am just about ready either to run for governor or sleep under a bridge," he quipped. He added that, in his new book, the "definition of politics... is 'poli' means more than one, and tics are blood-sucking parasites. So, I don't want to become one of them."
Perhaps Friedman should buck that unconventional wisdom and consider a run for the Senate instead. After all, Bernie Sanders could use some company in the independent ranks.
