Nov
23
Written by:
Mark Lavergne
11/23/2009 10:32 AM
Looks like Thomas Schieffer, Democratic candidate for Texas Governor, will announce this afternoon at 3 p.m. at the Speaker's Committee Room at the Capitol that he is bowing out of the governor's race.
Now the Houston Chronicle reports that former Houston Mayor Bill White is, according to a reliable source, jumping into the Governor's race.
If true, whoever wins the Republican primary will have a serious general election fight on his or her hands. White could win big margins in Harris County, especially after the role he played in Hurricane Ike recovery. If not, then the Democratic field of candidates would boast Hank Gilbert as arguably its least eccentric, most mainstream candidate.
UPDATE: (4:03 p.m.) "I just couldn't convince enough people I could win, and I couldn't get the money to convince them ..." Schieffer said at a press conference this afternoon -- adding fund raising difficulties and party unity for his other reasons. Schieffer, who until 3 p.m. was running for Governor, said he is endorsing White. White is expected to, at 4:15 p.m., announce his candidacy -- shifting from a Senate run to a gubernatorial campaign. Comments forthcoming in a separate blog post. --Andy Hogue.