Dec
4
Written by:
Mark Lavergne
12/4/2009 12:38 PM
Moments ago Houston Mayor
Bill White announced that he is running for Governor of Texas.
White's statement included one veiled jab at Gov.
Rick Perry in particular:
I am proud of the people of Texas, and as Governor I will move us forward as America's great state of opportunity. I'll be a Governor who challenges Texans to lead, not leave, the United States.
And another veiled jab at both Republican candidates Perry and
Kay Bailey Hutchison:
I don't have the polish of career politicians. But as a businessman and Mayor I know how to be accountable for results, not just rhetoric. I have a track record of bringing people together to get things done. That's what Texas needs now.
White is widely believed to be the immediate frontrunner for the Democratic nomination.
A few days ago the Republican Party of Texas fired a preemptive salvo against White, in the form of a
Youtube video entitled "Bill White: Too Liberal for Texas", observing that White supports cap and trade, Obamacare, and other Washington delights. (Media outlets had observed that RPT released the video before White even announced for governor, but at that point it was known that he was running for something -- if not Governor then U.S. Senator.)
If Perry wins the GOP primary, we can probably expect more such criticisms. If Perry's aggression against Hutchison is any indicator, so much more aggressive would he be against White. Whereas White projects the image of a political moderate, a Perry campaign would likely highlight White's policy stances which have been markedly left-leaning.
Perry and White have tangled before, particularly over timelines to meet certain emissions goals in the Houston-Galveston area. Perry had pushed for Houston-Galveston's emissions levels be designated as "severe," which would give the city until 2019 to meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone set by the federal government. White wanted to give the city only until 2013.
It is widely believed that Hutchison would have a better chance of drawing votes away from White than Perry would. Then again, her lack of cohesion and message in the primary could prove a liability in the general as it has shown to be against Perry. Against White, she would need to actually take the gloves off.