Tom Leppert and KBH's Senate seat

D Magazine publisher Wick Allison apparently heard rumors that Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert is considering running for the U.S. Senate seat that will become vacant when Kay Bailey Hutchison decides to challenge Rick Perry for Texas governor. So Wick called Da Mayor to ask him about it and Da Mayor give Wick the typical political answer. (In other words, he didn't say flat out, "Hell, no, I'm not running for anything else except another term as mayor.") Wick then opined that Da Mayor would be committing political suicide if he did decide to run (His exact words were "If he were to abandon his post now to seek a higher office, I doubt he would even carry Dallas.") words that were seconded later by Jim Schultze of the Dallas Observer.

As for me, I'm not so sure they are correct. Writing about the whole thing in the Dallas Morning News, Rudolph Bush lists some of the others interested in the Republican nomination, folks Bush referred to as "big name challengers." They are, according to Bush, Michael Williams and Elizabeth Ames Jones, both state railroad commissioners; state Sen. Florence Shapiro of Plano; and former Secretary of State Roger Williams. I don't know how you feel about it, but they don't come across as "big name challengers" to me, except, perhaps, for Williams, but that's only because a bunch of old farts might confuse him with the pianist who recorded the hit song "Autumn Leaves" more than a half century ago. I think with the well oiled machine like Leppert put together in his mayoral run, he could defeat that pack.

I think Leppert is refusing to say "yes" for the reasons Schultze points out: the City Charter would require him to step down as mayor as soon as he said he was running for another office. But there is no question in my mind Leppert is dreaming of a more expansive political future and Senate seats don't become available that often, especially for a Republican like Leppert who wouldn't have to face an incumbent in the primary.

For those wanting to keep their dates straight, a special Senate election would take place in 2010, if KBH resigns to run for governor. The next Dallas mayor's election occurs in 2011.