Leppert’s ulterior motive

Tom Leppert

I have never been an admirer of former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, but I do know the man is smart. I know that when he decided to enter the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Kay Bailey Hutchinson, he knew he had absolutely no chance of winning — especially not with a candidate as formidable as Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in the race.

Besides, Leppert is simply not the senatorial type. He would have chafed at being one small voice among 100, with no seniority, no power to control the outcome of anything. He displayed his lack of legislative skills almost immediately upon being inaugurated mayor in 2007 by isolating council member Angela Hunt. Sure, she opposed some of Leppert’s pet projects (the Trinity River Tollroad, the Convention Center Hotel, the Love Field concession mess), but his handling of her was ruthless and unwarranted and, in the long run, not in the best interests of the city. (Compare it to the way current Mayor Mike Rawlings has treated Hunt.)

Leppert is the CEO type, not a legislator. He’s got to be the head honcho. It began nearly 40 years ago when Leppert was elected student body president at California’s Claremont McKenna College. Not a member of the student senate, but the student body president. Of course, as just about everyone knows, he really made his mark as CEO of Turner Construction Company, the largest commercial builder in the United States. Leppert’s personality requires him to be the man in charge.

So why did he run for the U.S. Senate? Leppert is a consummate politician who, before the Republican primary, was little known outside the Dallas area. The race for the Senate got his name, his face and his platform out there all across the state of Texas, and, although it did not garner him enough support to even come close to a runoff, he did position himself well with his party’s hierarchy.

The position Leppert really covets is that of governor of Texas. This Senate race, in which he introduced himself favorably to the state’s Republican faithful without alienating any of them, places him in an excellent position to challenge incumbent Rick Perry, should the latter be foolish enough to run for another term, and to be the immediate frontrunner should Gov. Hair wisely decide he’s had enough. This same party hierarchy that Leppert cultivated believes Perry has (1) overstayed his welcome and (2) embarrassed the state with his botched presidential bid.

With two years to put together a campaign and devise a winning strategy, don’t be surprised to see the former mayor of Dallas in the governor’s mansion by 2015, which is where he has wanted to be all along, especially now that he is already well known and well liked by Republicans throughout the state because of his Senate run.