Texas/Southwest

11/20/2009

Associated Press

It's premature to know whether Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison will succeed in her run for governor, but she's already upset ambitious politicians having to delay or rethink plans for moving up the political ranks.

Hutchison announced last week that she won't resign her office until sometime after the March primary, so the prospect of a rare U.S. Senate vacancy has dissipated for now. The domino effect has stretched from Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, widely thought to covet the seat, to many who would have vacated their seats to run for the lieutenant governor — and on down the line.

Republican pollster and consultant Mike Baselice does work for Dewhurst and Hutchison's GOP primary opponent, Gov. Rick Perry. He says, "At this point, it is hard to go out and campaign if she's not going to resign."