GOP Surprisingly Nervous About Texas Senate Seat
Do Republicans think they could actually lose a seat in Texas, of all places?
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) has taken another major step towards running for governor, The Hill reports, transferring nearly $8 million from her federal account into a state fund. Hutchison has also left the door open to resigning later this year, way ahead of the gubernatorial election itself. And John Cornyn, as both her co-Senator and as head of the NRSC, has been asking her not to do this, as it would set up a special election that could potentially give the Democrats their 60th seat.
One Texas Republican source seemed surprisingly concerned, telling Election Central that the state Dems are "going through a bit of a renaissance," and have two decent candidates lined up for the eventual Senate race in Houston Mayor Bill White and former Comptroller John Sharp.
"If Sharp and Bill White come back, there will be national Democratic Party money put back in Texas, and I think Republicans are gonna have to be on their A-game," the source said. "And that's something we will always fight to achieve, but gone are the days when Democrats would put up sort of B-team officials."
