Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst plans to seek re-election in 2014, bringing a quick end to speculation he might not seek another term.
Just a month after losing a bruising multimillion-dollar bid for the U.S. Senate to political newcomer and Tea Party favorite Ted Cruz, Dewhurst told Texans gathered at the Republican National Convention in Florida on Tuesday that he hopes to be back on the ballot in two years."I fully expect that I'll run for re-election," he told media members at the event. "As long as the people of Texas want me to continue serving to help move this state forward, then I'm honored."Dewhurst, lieutenant governor since 2003, will likely face challenges from members of his own party.Before the July 31 runoff between Cruz and Dewhurst ever began, Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson said he will run for lieutenant governor in 2014 -- whether Dewhurst is on the ballot or not.Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples has said he plans to run as well, and Texas Comptroller Susan Combs has expressed interest.Months ago, it looked as if neither of Texas' top leaders would be back on the ballot in 2014.Many speculated that Gov. Rick Perry might be on his way out of politics after ending his brief presidential bid. And many thought Dewhurst would handily win the race to replace Kay Bailey Hutchison in the U.S. Senate.But Perry appears ready to seek re-election in 2014, and Dewhurst made his political plans clear Tuesday."They want to maintain their influence in Texas politics," said Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas."You've had Perry and Dewhurst in the top positions of power in Texas for about a decade. And everyone has been queued up behind them. ... They all would like to move up."The calculation is: Did Perry and/or Dewhurst hurt themselves enough in their last campaigns for people to knock them off?"Jillson said Perry and Dewhurst "certainly hurt themselves" politically.But he said the next primary, in 2014, is a long way off."They have time to recoup if they work hard and smart," Jillson said.Another key question is, What does Attorney General Greg Abbott want to do in 2014? He has more than $10 million stockpiled for his next political move and has long been considered the governor-in-waiting, observers say.Dewhurst, who drew a standing ovation Tuesday during the Texas delegation meeting, made some committee assignments this week, putting senators in place to focus on issues in the legislative session that starts Jan. 8.He made Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, the Senate Finance Committee chairman, and reappointed Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, as head of the Health and Human Services Committee and Sen. Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock, as head of the State Affairs Committee."It is clearly going to be a challenging session," Dewhurst said in a statement."We need to continue to balance the budget without raising taxes, fight intrusive federal health care changes and dramatic increases in Medicaid costs and pass key conservative reforms -- which is why we need proven leadership in these areas."Dewhurst, a millionaire businessman, is also moving ahead with a fundraiser to replenish his war chest.Invitations to a Sept. 19 Austin "reception to re-elect Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst" have been scattered around at the Republican National Convention.As Dewhurst addressed the crowd of Texans in Florida on Tuesday, he touched on issues ranging from state spending to the need for "free-market reforms" in healthcare.He spoke about being disappointed that public schools aren't improving more and said he might consider school vouchers or other options for parents whose children are in low-performing schools.He also noted that he has offered to campaign and raise money with Cruz.In the U.S. Senate race this November, Cruz faces Democrat Paul Sadler; Libertarian John Jay Myers; independents Lorenzo Morales, Craig Couvillion, Michael Edward Champion and Michael R. Powell; and Green Party candidates David B. Collins and Victoria Ann Zabaras."Dewhurst was well-received," GOP national delegate Adrian Murray of Fort Worth said."He was quite gracious in saying he would campaign for Cruz against Sadler. That showed class and, I think, helped him with that crowd."Anna M. Tinsley, 817-390-7610Twitter: @annatinsleyHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
