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By Tex Whitley Posted in User Blogs — Comments (3) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

Rumor has been flying for months now that Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison will challenge incumbent Rick Perry in the 2006 republican primary for Texas Governor.  Today Senator Hutchison fueled those rumors with the hiring of two nationally known political heavyweights for her 2006 campaign staff.

The new campaign manager is Terry Sullivan, who most recently ran the successful campaign for U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, a conservative from South Carolina. Sullivan guided DeMint's campaign through what he described as a "brutal, competitive and heated" Republican primary.

The senator also hired Scott Howell of Dallas to direct the media campaign. Howell has worked for the Bush-Cheney campaign, as well as those of five other Republican senators, including Saxby Chambliss of Georgia.

This is the first signal in a race that holds massive ramifications for Texas politics. Read on.Neither the Senator, nor her staff, has publicly acknowledged that she will officially enter the 2006 Texas Governor's race, and that pattern continued today.

The Republican senator's spokesman, David Beckwith, confirmed the hires Thursday but declined to say what race the new campaign staff is preparing for.

"Whatever she runs for in 2006, it's time to start assembling the campaign team," Beckwith said.

These hires, in conjunction with her recent press battles with Gov. Perry, continue to fuel the 2006 speculation.  Why would a sitting senator, who could easily win re-election to her seat, hire a rough and tumble campaign manager that just pulled Jim DeMint through a difficult primary, runoff and general election, in a South Carolina record, $24 million race?

Her hiring of Scott Howell also lends credence to the 2006 governor's challenge.

For her previous campaigns, Hutchison has used ad-maker David Weeks of Austin. He also does the campaign ads for Perry, who is a longtime friend.

Beckwith declined to say why Hutchison was switching, other than to call Howell "a creative media person."

Governor Perry, and his staff, continue to assure the public that they are focusing on the issues facing the State Legislature right now, and are not speculating on a potential primary contest in 2006.  When asked about the potential for Senator Hutchison challenging him for re-election, Perry seemed to endorse the Senator staying put in the nation's capital.

"I feel like that those in Washington, D.C., should stay focused on helping Texas up in Washington, D.C.," Perry said.

Senator Hutchison's decision could cause a chain reaction among elected officials in Texas, much like the 2002 retirement of Senator Phil Gramm.  When Gramm retired, John Cornyn, the Texas Attorney General at the time, ran for, and won the U.S. Senate seat.  Then Texas Supreme Court Justice Greg Abbott, took Cornyn's place at AG, while Land Commissioner David Dewhurst claimed the Lt. Governor's post.  Now both Dewhurst and Abbott, may decide to run for Hutchison's vacant seat.

Already in the running, should Hutchison challenge Perry, is Representative Henry Bonilla.  The U.S. Rep. from Texas'23rd District announced on February 1st that should Senator Hutchison not seek re-election, he's in.

"All the stars are aligned. It's time to go for it," Bonilla told the San Antonio Express-News.

Bonilla is not the only member of the Texas delegation eyeing Hutchison's seat.

Other members of Congress mentioned as possible Senate candidates include Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, and Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Dallas.

All this posturing may be for not, until Senator Hutchison officially announces her 2006 intentions.  It is widely believed that decision won't come until after the legislative session in Texas has ended in May.