I know what you are thinking… I had this ambitious plan to blog on a consistent basis and I am failing miserably, as I have not written since the first day.
You got me. I dropped the ball. Looking back, it probably was not that wise to begin my blogging efforts during a holiday week followed by a week of vacation with my family here in DC. I did not set myself up for success. But nevertheless, I am attempting to take up my blogging mantle again.
Since it is Tuesday, that means it’s time for a discussion about Texas politics!
When I created my plan to write about Texas politics once a week, I was concerned that I wouldn’t have that much to talk about. The legislature meets once every other year for one-hundred and forty days. Unless the Governor calls them back into special session, the legislature has the burden of getting two years of legislating done in five months. That means that there are not that many headlines during the interim, and I didn’t know what I would write about.
But fear not! Next year is an election year. Recent announcements have set the stage for a flurry of action over the next few months in preparation for the full election cycle that will start in the spring.
By announcing that he will not seek gubernatorial reelection, Gov. Rick Perry has opened the door for a game of musical chairs. Attorney General, Greg Abbott, has announced his campaign for governor and it is expected that the Democrats will announce their pick in the next few weeks (many are encouraging Sen. Wendy Davis, fresh off her famous filibuster, to run).
The office of Attorney General has been seen as political stepping stone, and with that assumption has seen the most activity in campaign announcements. Railroad Commissioner Barry Smitherman, Rep. Dan Branch, and Sen. Ken Paxton have all been mulling the decision and are expected to announce in the coming weeks.
In my opinion, the most interesting and important race will be the one for Lt. Gov. When all is said and done, the Lt. Gov. holds a massive amount of power when it comes to getting things done in the Senate. Current Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst is running again, with challenges coming from Ag. Commissioner Todd Staples, Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, and Sen. Dan Branch.
Needless to say, this is going to be an exciting season in Texas politics.
Useless Fact of the Day: “Go.” is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.