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Cornyn: Hutchison Could Resign From Senate This Fall
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) told the Houston Chronicle that his co-Senator, Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison, could potentially resign her Senate seat pretty soon in order to campaign full-time in her GOP primary challenge against incumbent Gov. Rick Perry.
"My guess," Cornyn said, is that Hutchison will resign "this fall sometime."
A resignation at that point in time would allow Perry to appoint an interim Senator who would serve until a May 2010 special election -- an affair that Cornyn would very much prefer to avoid, given the potentially strong Democratic campaigns of Houston Mayor Bill White and ex-Comptroller John Sharp.
My requests for comment from Hutchison's office were not returned.
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Josh
Matt
Eric
61*?
May 14, 2009 3:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Grr..
*Assuming Franken gets seated by then.
May 14, 2009 3:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here's the deal: Democrats can demand that in order for Sen. Hutchison's replacement to be seated on committees, Al Franken must also be seated as well. That's the leverage we get from Hutchison resigning.
May 14, 2009 7:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
And the GOP moves even closer to being 100% old white man.
May 14, 2009 3:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why would she resign first? She would probably be favored to win, but you never know. Perry seems to have the secessionist vote locked up.
May 14, 2009 5:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
He's surging in the polls. She's nowhere near the teabaggn' Texas spotlight. And she maybe can't run for governor and senator at the same time? (Although Joe Lieberman certainly ran for two offices simultaneously....)
May 14, 2009 5:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nope. Texas law allows her to stay in the Senate while she runs for governor. Her term isn't up until 2012.
May 14, 2009 6:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here's the deal: If Sen. Hutchison resigns, Democrats can demand that Al Franken be seated in order for Hutchison's replacement to be seated on committees. That's major leverage, Goofy.
May 14, 2009 7:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
However that would be used against her by Perry, not to mention she couldn't campaign all that well from Washington.
I don't think there is any chance a Democrat wins a senate seat in Texas.
May 14, 2009 6:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Given that most of the senators we do have might as well be republicans, what difference does it make? See, e.g., the cram down votes and the rejection of a 15 percent credit card interest rate limit, not to mention EFCA. See also so-called dem votes in the Senate for Scalia, Alito, Thomas, and Roberts.
May 14, 2009 10:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is a plot by the right-wing to allow Gov. Perry to devout more time to tea-bag parties!
May 14, 2009 10:53 PM | Reply | Permalink