Bill White Announces He Is In Race For Senate

Houston Mayor Bill White made official today his decision to seek the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Hutchison is expected to resign as early as next June to concentrate on her run for Governor of Texas.

White’s announcement was no surprise. He has been toying with the idea of making this race (or a race for governor) for months and finally pulled the trigger today by issuing a press release and putting out a video.

From White’s press release:

Houston Mayor Bill White today announced that he intends to seek election to the U.S. Senate from Texas.

“Working for my neighbors as mayor has been a great honor,” said Mayor White. White was re-elected as mayor of the nation’s fourth largest city with 91% and 86% of the vote.

“Texas needs a new voice in decisions that will be made in Washington, and my business experience and administrative expertise will ensure utilizing fiscally responsible means to get our economy moving,” White added. During White’s five years as mayor, Houston added more jobs than any other city in the United States.

“Representing Texans in the Senate will allow me to work for energy policy which is more secure and affordable,” said White, who has decades of experience in energy business and policy, including service as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy.

Under White’s leadership, the City of Houston expanded parks, libraries and health clinics, while cutting the property tax rate and raising the property tax exemption for our senior citizens every year. The FBI presented Mayor White with the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award, noting that “Mayor White made public safety one of his highest priorities, as evidenced by Houston’s decreasing crime rate.”

Mayor White is known for his work in promoting energy efficiency, fighting pollution, and redeveloping blighted neighborhoods.

White (who isn’t above giving an arrogant bit of published advice on foreign policy to the president-elect), however, has some stuff in his background and dealings that could cause him some problems–especially among Democrats outside Houston (where evidently no one can see the flaws for the Hurricane-polished halo).

One of his former business partners was a big donor to Bush and brings to the table a lot of problems relating to a serious “pay to play” perception related to the company they ran together. Oh, and the former business partner is a permanent resident alien from Lebanon (son of a former Deputy PM no less)–you can imagine just how well all of this will play in Texas when whomever the GOP nominee’s opposition research people and media people have their way with it. We don’t need a repeat of the 2002 election when Tony Sanchez was linked to drug dealers by having a U.S. Senate nominee who is linked through a former business partner to Hezbollah sympathizers. Former Enron exec Rich Kinder is also one of the folks who is frequently whispering in White’s ear.

Too, his cozy ties to Enron are pretty well known–and well-documented. It remains to be seen whether or not that will hurt him statewide. After all, Enron is nearly a decade back in the consciousness of voters.

Yes, White is essentially anti-union.  He ran into problems with SEIU when they were organizing janitors and office workers.  He has had continuing battles with both the police and fire fighters.  And his relations with the state AFL-CIO are basically non-existent.

He is also the only Democratic mayor of a leading city in Texas, and perhaps the entire country, who did not endorse Barack Obama.

White is also pro-life and anti-choice. He was elected Mayor of Houston by getting the support of that city’s downtown Republican crowd and has essentially governed in a style that suits their needs.

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