Nobody is talking about the elephant inside the City Council horseshoe.

Mayor Tom Leppert looks likely to run for the U.S. Senate, if Kay Bailey Hutchison resigns her seat to focus on running for governor against incumbent Rick Perry.

Leppert would have to resign as mayor to do it, and if he does, two council members are immediate contenders to replace him – Angela Hunt and Ron Natinsky.

Hunt, though, says she doesn't believe the hype.

"I don't have my 'Hunt for Mayor' signs ready to go," she joked.

Eric Johnson raised $100,000 in 100 days for his Texas House campaign.

Looks like he'll get the chance to spend it.

With incumbent Terri Hodge's court date set for March 8 – six days after the primary – she'll almost certainly file for re-election.

Johnson is making his first run for public office but seems to have an energetic campaign. Hodge is a veteran politico who knows nearly every voter in District 100.

Now that the race is almost set, endorsements are sure to follow.

It will be interesting to see which leaders stay with Hodge and which ones choose up with Johnson.

Now that Cathie Adams is the new Texas Republican Party chairwoman, Rick Perry has the endorsement of the sitting and outgoing chairwomen.

Party bylaws prohibit leaders from endorsing in primaries, but Adams made her choice before taking the post.

Dallas Judge Tena Callahan, who made headlines with her recent ruling that state laws banning gay marriage are unconstitutional, told a group of Democrats last week that she didn't struggle with the legal questions in the case so much as the potential backlash.

According to an account of her remarks on dallas voice.com, Callahan said she ultimately decided it was her duty to make a stand.

"My dad always used to tell me that a billion people can believe in a bad idea, and it's still a bad idea," she said. "And that man taught me to have the courage of my convictions and to do what's right – it's always the right time to do the right thing."

The Democrat further urged attendees to "do the right thing" by supporting Democratic candidates.