TX-SEN

Retired Gen. Sanchez, Who Resigned After Abu Ghraib, Launches Dem Senate Bid In Texas

Eric Kleefeld | May 11, 2011, 2:48PM

Retired United States Army Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez

Retired Army Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, who retired in the wake of the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal in Iraq, has officially launched his campaign for the open Senate seat in Texas as a Democrat, after having reportedly been courted by national Dems to seek the seat being vacated by retiring GOP Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.

The San Antonio Express-News reports:

By filing today, Sanchez, 57, said he'll be free to raise and spend campaign funds. The race, his first, comes nearly five years after the end of a career that saw him lead the bloodiest American war since Vietnam and retire as one of the highest-ranking Hispanics in Army history.

...

As the top soldier in Baghdad, Sanchez grappled with the insurgency and the Abu Ghraib scandal. Cleared of wrongdoing, he called for creation of a commission to "address what happened to the country as a result of the suspension of the Geneva Conventions" by Bush.

The commission was never created.

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Ricardo Sanchez

General Who Resigned After Abu Ghraib Recruited For Senate Bid

Evan McMorris-Santoro | April 18, 2011, 4:56PM

Retired United States Army Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez

Democrats are told reporters on Monday that they've found their secret weapon when it comes retaking retiring Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's Senate seat in Texas next fall: Retired Lt. Gen. Ricard Sanchez, last seen leaving Iraq in shame after the 2004 Abu Ghraib prison scandal engulfed some of the American forces he was leading there.

National Democrats are urging Sanchez to run for Senate, claiming his military career and Hispanic heritage will make him a serious threat in the Lone Star State. In a statement released to reporters Monday afternoon, Sanchez said he's going to make a decision about the race "in the coming weeks," but sources told the AP the former Lt. General is "expected to run."

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TX-SEN

Does Ron Paul Want To Join Son Rand In The Senate? (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | January 28, 2011, 1:06PM

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX)

A very interesting name is emerging as a potential candidate for the Republican nomination in the Texas Senate race, where incumbent GOP Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison is retiring: Rep. Ron Paul, who built up a strong online donor base from his anti-war, minimal government presidential campaign in 2008.

As the Dallas Morning News reported Wednesday night:

"I'm just waiting and seeing what comes about, who files and what they do," said Paul, R-Lake Jackson, a 75-year-old obstetrician who has run for president twice and made a Senate bid in 1984.

...

"It's crossed my mind, but ... I haven't taken any active steps," Paul said.

Paul son, freshman Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), was asked about the report last night during an interview with John King on CNN. And he had a pretty funny response.

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2012 elections

Lieberman And Hutchison: We Could Have Won If We Weren't Retiring

Eric Kleefeld | January 24, 2011, 2:57PM

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX)

The three senators who have announced their 2012 retirements thus far appeared Sunday on This Week. Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) both maintained that they think they could have won re-election -- and the other, Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), only commented on why his state has turned against the status quo in Washington.

All in all, these reactions seemed to coincide with the chances that these same individual Senators' seats would stay with their current party or caucus.

Following Conrad's retirement, the Cook Report changed the rating of this race from "Likely Democratic" to "Toss Up." Before Lieberman announced his retirement, Cook had the race as only "Leans Democratic," due in part to the possibility that a three-way race could split the Dem vote and throw the seat to the Republicans -- but it is now the much safer "Likely Democratic." And Hutchison's seat has seen no change -- it was "Likely Republican" before she announced her retirement, and it is "Likely Republican" now.

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TX-SEN

Texas Sen. Hutchison Won't Run Again In 2012

Eric Kleefeld | January 13, 2011, 1:25PM

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)

We now have an open Senate seat in Texas -- which should likely be a safe GOP hold, but also provide a lot of fun in the 2012 primary season. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison has officially announced her much-expected retirement.

The Dallas Morning News reports:

In a letter to supporters, Hutchison said she enjoyed serving Texas.

"I am announcing today that I will not be a candidate for re-election in 2012," she wrote to supporters. "That should give the people of Texas ample time to consider who my successor will be."

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Kay Bailey Hutchison

Hutchison Makes It Official: She's Not Resigning From The Senate

Eric Kleefeld | March 31, 2010, 11:58AM

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) officially announced this morning that she will not resign her seat in the United States Senate, reversing her earlier plans to leave office before the end of her term in 2012.

Hutchison had previously challenged incumbent Gov. Rick Perry in the Republican primary, and had planned to resign during the primary itself. She later changed her mind about resigning during the primary, but had kept the door open to resigning afterward. Perry ultimately won the March 2 primary. Hutchison's new decision comes after many Republicans, including the Republican leadership and the state's 20 GOP House members, had asked her to stay.

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TX-SEN

Report: Hutchison Won't Resign From Senate

Eric Kleefeld | March 31, 2010, 10:00AM

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), who recently lost a Republican primary for governor of Texas, is expected to announce today that she will serve out her full Senate term through 2012.

For the past year and more, Hutchison had challenged incumbent Gov. Rick Perry in the Republican primary. She had previously planned to resign her office during the primary campaign itself, but had reversed her decision in November, though she kept the door open to resigning after the March 2 primary. Had Hutchison resigned, the seat would have been filled with a temporary appointment by Perry, along with an expedited special election.

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