POLITICS
New Texas GOP chair says Hutchison should decide
Cathie Adams says the senator should resolve resignation plans by early 2010.
By W. Gardner Selby
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Sunday, October 25, 2009
The newly elected chairwoman of the Republican Party of Texas told reporters Saturday that she believes U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison needs to clarify if and when she's resigning her seat by early next year in connection with her bid for governor.
Cathie Adams of Dallas, who also said she won't be withdrawing her earlier endorsement of GOP Gov. Rick Perry's re-election, said her hope that Hutchison acts on the resignation issue reflects concern among party activists waiting for Hutchison's decision before setting their own political plans or making political commitments.
 Kay Bailey Hutchison |
Adams singled out the possibility of Hutchison putting off her resignation until after the 2010 candidate filing period ends in early January, a scenario potentially leaving party leaders with the job of choosing some nominees for major statewide positions.
The State Republican Executive Committee could face such decisions if incumbents react to a Hutchison resignation after the deadline by deciding to either pursue Hutchison's vacated seat or to chase other offices that open up in the wake of her resignation.
"It would help the people of the state of Texas to know more clearly, especially by (the candidate filing deadline of) Jan. 4," Adams said, "because if she resigns after that, we're going to throw things into quite an unknown."
Adams spoke in Austin after her election as chairwoman over Melinda Fredricks of Conroe. The vote by the executive committee occurred weeks after the previous chair, Houston lawyer Tina Benkiser, left to become a senior adviser in Perry's campaign.
Adams said that to devote herself to leading the party, she will resign from her longtime leadership of the Texas Eagle Forum and give up her existing post on the Republican National Committee, though she'll still have a spot on the panel that's reserved for the party chair.
Adams told reporters it would be impossible for her to withdraw her earlier endorsement of Perry for another term.
"That would be like trying to turn the direction of the river," Adams said, adding that any endorsements she's previously made "are out there." Still, she said, "there's not going to be any partiality" on her part in her new role.
Hutchison isn't legally required to quit her seat to run for governor, though she's said she intends to resign to focus on her challenge of Perry in the March 2 Republican primary. But she hasn't specified a resignation date, lately saying she wants to remain in the Senate through the debate on health care legislation.
Her decision not to give a date for when will she will resign has caused political angst back home because until she settles her plans, other office-holders are wary of shifting their plans.
Notably, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst could react to Hutchison giving up her seat by joining the field of Senate aspirants.
Also, Attorney General Greg Abbott might shift his sights from re-election next year to bidding for lieutenant governor, subsequently clearing the way for other hopefuls
to jockey for attorney general.
To date, Dewhurst and Abbott have said that they're concentrating on winning third terms.
Adams said: "If she's going to run for governor, I think that it would be best for our party if by Jan. 4, filing deadline, that we know clearly who is running for what."
Attempts to seek Hutchison's reaction were unsuccessful Saturday.
wgselby@statesman.com, 445-3644
