Hutchison Makes Run For Texas Governor Official

U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison today made her run for Texas Governor “official,” with campaign announcements in LaMarque and Austin today.

Hutchison will face off against Texas Governor Rick Perry–the state’s longest serving chief executive–in a battle for the hearts and minds of GOP primary voters next March.

While it was never really in doubt that Hutchison would finally enter the governor’s race this time–after toying with the idea in 2006–the media noted that today’s announcement put an end to “speculation” about her intentions:

U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison this morning ended months — some would say years — of speculation by formally announcing as a Republican primary challenger to the longest serving governor in Texas history: Rick Perry.

More from the Chron story:

“It is with pride and humility for history that I announce today that I am a candidate for governor of Texas,” said Hutchison, recalling that a great, great grandfather signed the Texas Declaration of Independence.

[...]

Hutchison was introduced to the crowd by Karen Hughes, a top adviser to former Texas Gov. and President George W. Bush. Hughes told the crowd that she had voted for Perry in the past but that it is time for a change with Hutchison.

“This year we have to choose between them,” Hughes said. “We need someone … who brings people together.”

At least two people from Perry’s campaign were in the audience giving reporters material critical of Hutchison. Perry spokesman Mark Miner criticized the size of the audience.

“It must be very disappointing, the lack of people that showed up to support her in her hometown,” Miner said.

Hutchison spokesman Jeff Sadosky said the school was chosen because La Marque was her hometown, not to throw a large rally. “We never intended to fill the gym.” Sadosky said.

While it is easy to see both sides of that argument–there are only 13,000 in La Marque and it is doubtful many folks who knew Hutchison as a child are still around, plus it is a Monday and most of the population is at work–it is still difficult to believe she couldn’t pull more than 150 people for this. I’m not sure, however, if I was a Perry campaign strategist, that would be the best criticism I could muster.

Still more:

In her announcement, Hutchison made no direct reference to her stated plans to resign her Senate seat in either October or November to concentrate on the March 2 GOP primary. But she promised to fight President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul “while I’m in the Senate.”

Hutchison made it clear that she plans to aggressively contest Perry on issues such as the economy and education. But she also is going after his political base among social conservative and rural voters by reminding them of Perry’s past support for state-mandated vaccinations against a sexually transmitted disease and for backing the rural land-gobbling Trans-Texas Corridor.

“Let me start by saying this about Rick Perry. He’s a dedicated public servant. I know he loves Texas. But now he’s trying to stay too long — 14 years, maybe longer,” said Hutchison.

Hutchison said she will propose term limits of eight years for governor. Hutchison in 1994 had promised a self-imposed term limit of two full turns in the Senate, a promise she broke in 2006 to successfully seek a third full term in the Senate.

“For any governor, eight years is enough,” Hutchison said. “We can’t afford 14 years of one person appointing every state board, agency and commission. It invites patronage. It tempts cronyism.”

Oh, Kay. More term limits? Seriously? You failed to fulfill your last term limits pledge. Also, are you not aware that Texas voters–not the governor–actually have to make that decision in a constitutional amendment election? Have you really been in the U.S. Senate so long that you forgot how Texas government works?

And more:

She chided Perry for the state’s new business tax, which she called a “job killer,” and for refusing to take federal unemployment stimulus money with the result being higher taxes on businesses.

My question is this: How can Hutchison have it both ways? How can she complain about Perry not taking the stimulus money for unemployment but complain about Obama’s healthcare plan?

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