A Monday announcement has led to a big shakeup among Democrats running for governor in March's primary.
Fort Worth Democrat Tom Schieffer said he is out, and it looks like Houston Mayor Bill White is positioning himself for a run.
There has been speculation for months about whether White or former state comptroller John Sharp would end their Senate bids to run for governor.
With Sen. Hutchison deciding she won't quit until sometime after the March primary, and with no special election in sight, White appears ready to make the jump.
White is a business-friendly Democrat with a strong record running Houston as mayor. He has more than $4 million in his Senate campaign account and the ability to raise more in a run for governor. Now, he has finally said he's considering it instead of the Senate.
"People approach me at every event constantly and I think it's best that I listen to people and them make a decision and move on from there," he said.
The way was cleared for White after Schieffer didn't set off sparks among Democrats since he served under President George W. Bush as an ambassador and struggled to raise money. He met with White Sunday and urged him to run.
"I hope my actions will be a catalyst for others to reassess their intentions and to join me in supporting Mayor White for governor," Schieffer said.
But, so far, other Democrats running for governor aren't falling in line.
Author and humorist Kinky Friedman, making his second run for governor, isn't among them.
"There's plenty of room in the hot tub, you know?" he said. "This is not a lot of people really to be in a governor's race, I don't think."
Friedman and the other candidates met with the state Democratic chairman in Dallas.
All said, they are in including Houston businessman Farouk Shami, who said he'll spend $10 million of his own money in the primary.
"We are running to serve the state of Texas, so I'm in for sure definitely," he said.
With White possibly in, Texas Democratic Party chair Boyd Richie said he isn't pushing the others out.
"I'm not going to favor anybody in a primary, period," he said. "And the party is not going to take that position."
White said he will decide by December 4 whether to run for governor.
E-mail bwatson@wfaa.com
