Texas Comptroller Eyes Governorship in 2006 {Or Will She Settle for Lieutenant Governor?}

Austin, TX, American-Statesman | 04-22-04 | McNeely, Dave

[Theodore R.]

Commentary: Dave McNeely Comptrollers count office as rung up

Thursday, April 22, 2004

The three Texas comptrollers since 1975 have wanted to be governor. Carole Keeton Strayhorn is no exception.

The first two — the late Bob Bullock and John Sharp, both Democrats — eventually settled for a run at lieutenant governor. Bullock won; Sharp didn't.

Strayhorn, one loud grandma, has yet to announce her plans. Though she's a Republican like Gov. Rick Perry, Strayhorn has been slapping Perry every time he turns around.

She says he:

is an ineffective leader, should put more money into the Children's Health Insurance Program to reinstate kids who were dropped, and will put the state $10 billion in debt in five years if his school funding/property tax cut plan is followed.

Last year, she suggested a tax on cigarettes and legalizing video lottery terminals. Perry said no, but this year that's his partial solution for school finance.

What's happening here is a collision in the ambition tube.

Among Texas' statewide elected offices, top prizes are Texas' two seats in the United States Senate, the governorship and a few notches lower, the lieutenant governorship.

The other down-ballot offices — land commissioner, railroad commissioners, agriculture commissioner, attorney general, the now-defunct office of treasurer — are the on-deck circle for the bigger offices.

Senior U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison was state treasurer before election to the Senate. Junior U.S. Sen. John Cornyn was on the Texas Supreme Court and attorney general before he joined her.

Perry was agriculture commissioner, and then lieutenant governor, before becoming governor. Strayhorn won a Railroad Commission seat on her second try, then moved up to comptroller. She's still hungry.

Bullock, as comptroller, supported Gov. Dolph Briscoe's re-election in 1978 because he had squabbled with Briscoe's Democratic primary opponent, Attorney General John Hill. And, Bullock wanted to run for governor in 1982 when Briscoe left.

However, Hill beat Briscoe but then lost to Republican Bill Clements. Bullock and Clements got along OK. But Bullock had a running feud with Mark White, who had become attorney general.

When White upset Clements, Bullock announced he would run for governor in 1986 and continued banging on White.

By 1984, Bullock said he wouldn't run for governor. By 1989, he settled for running for lieutenant governor in 1990 and shelved his gubernatorial ambitions.

Sharp, who succeeded Bullock, got along well with Democratic Gov. Ann Richards and then Republican Gov. George W. Bush, who unseated Richards in 1994. Sharp considered opposing Bush in 1998, not because they'd fought, but because he wanted the job.

He finally decided Bush was unbeatable and settled for a race for lieutenant governor.

Strayhorn obviously hasn't made that decision yet. She wants to run for governor. But if Hutchison runs against Perry, and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst seeks Hutchison's Senate seat, look for Strayhorn to run for lieutenant governor.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

The entire Texas GOP owes Perry for the redistricting victory, and they'll line up behind him.

We must be talking to different Texas Republican Parties. Many of the ones I know are real tired of Perry. That doesn't put them in the nutty grandmaw camp but they are tired of the RINO Governor.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

The only way Perry loses is if Kay Bailey decides to run for governor. I don't think she will do that.

Her last campaign manager in my county is making noise that she will run.

[Theodore R.]

seems to me that primaries will lead to more conservative candidates emerging

Well, Ken, that did not happen in the 2002 legislative races: more liberal Republican candidates won many of the contested nominations.

And in 2004, the Perry-backed Judge Green unseated Justice Smith in the primary. Smith was considered the most conservative of all the Supreme Court members.

Of course, the GOP is at something of a "disadvantage" in that it has no where to go but "down" in that it has held all statewide elected offices since the 1996 elections.

I just think it will get difficult to hold all statewide offices for 12 straight years, but the Democrats have done such in many other states. It is very rare for a state GOP to hold ALL statewide offices for a DECADE.

[ken5050]

I'd agree that a decade long cycle is unusual, and sometime change results merely because of that, but from what I read, admittedly from a distant perspective, the changing demos of Texas would continue to work for GOP, especially conservtive GOP candidates...

and if I can go into self-pity mode, living in NY, and especially here in Chappaqua next door to you-know-who, I'd like to have, experience, and enjoy the "problems" that you conservative Pubbies have in Texas..(sigh)

[deport]

Her last campaign manager in my county is making noise that she will run.

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That may indicate Governor Hutchison and Senator Perry.....

[rapture-me]

Strayhorn seems to think that Perry isnt enough of a RINO to her liking, so she is acting like the 'opposition' party. She's a loudmouth and a troublemaker.

AMEN!

[Guvmint_Cheese]

Settle for Lieutenant Governor? It's a more-powerful position down here. But if she's after the prestige, I doubt she'd run for it.

I'd hate to vote for a DemonRat, but I really can't stand her.