By Manu Raju
October 16, 2007
Kay Bailey Hutchison, a member of the Senate Republican leadership, will not seek reelection in 2012 and is strongly considering leaving office early to pursue a 2010 bid to be the next governor of Texas.
In an interview with Texas Monthly magazine, Hutchison said she has “been talking to people quietly” about the possibility of a 2010 bid, but stated that she has not made a commitment to run.
“I don’t want to peak in 2007 for a 2010 race,” said Hutchison, who currently serves as the chairwoman of the Republican Policy Committee, the fourth most senior GOP position in the conference. “Would I like to do it? Yes.”
Hutchison said regardless of whether she runs for governor, she will not seek reelection for her Senate seat, which expires after the 2012 elections. She said she is considering leaving Capitol Hill as early as 2009.
“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,” Hutchison added.
Hutchison’s office confirmed the accuracy of the interview. Her announcement is not a surprise because she had long been considered a likely candidate for the governor’s mansion in Austin. In 2006, she won reelection to a fourth term in the Senate with 62 percent of the vote.
Her announcement gives both parties plenty of time to recruit candidates for her Senate seat, and could open up a fight within the GOP conference for her leadership post and spot on key committees, such as Appropriations and Commerce, Science and Transportation.
Senate Republican Whip Trent Lott (Miss.) dismissed suggestions that Hutchison’s announcement was a sign of continued troubles for Republicans, who have seen a flurry of recent retirements in both chambers.
“This is a sign that she loves her state,” Lott said.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/hutchison-is-considering-leaving-office-early-2007-10-16.html
