(CNN) - Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison formally announced her bid for Texas governor Monday morning, challenging fellow Republican and incumbent Rick Perry and sparking what could be a bitter intra-party fight in the Lone Star State.
"It is with pride and humility for history that I announce today that I am a candidate for Governor of Texas," Hutchison said in remarks prepared for delivery in La Marque, Texas. The town will be her first stop in a five-day, 19-stop "Texas Can Do Better" tour.
The four-term senator graduated from high school in La Marque in 1961.
"Let me start by saying this about Rick Perry. He's a dedicated public servant. I know he loves Texas. But now he's trying to stay too long - 14 years, maybe longer," said Hutchison.
Perry took over as Texas governor in late 2000, after then-Gov. George W. Bush stepped down to serve as president. Perry won election to a full term in 2002, and was re-elected four years later.
Hutchison says she'll give up her Senate seat later this year to focus solely on the governor's race.
–CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
From CNN Politics
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
Good for you
A Democratic senator from TExas wouild be good. Maybe the next LBJ?
Carville is right in another post on this site. Democrats shoul abolustely force the healt care bill. The republicon strategy is to deny affordable health care and to go against American's getting reduced costs on the halth care they already have. That is it. How do they go to their constituents and say – I do not want you to have better more affordable health care? That is what they are standing up for right now. Put them on the record for supporting that lunacy.
Senator Hutchison is a BETTER candidate than the CESEDE Perry from the UNION!
The lady has been a great Senator for the State of Texas, but I have to admit mixed emotions on this one. Rick Perry has done a decent job for Texas, as Governor. It'll take awhile to see how all this falls out before I make a decision on this race.
Good. I hope she looses and ends up without a job.
I hope Hutchinson is successful. Texas will get a better governor and a better Senator. None could be worse than the ones we've got now.
other than one being female and the other being male there is no difference in the two, I hope there is a 3rd party.
If she were to win elections, she'd be no Ann Richards who said that George H. W. Bush was born with a silver foot in his mouth. I don't who is running on the Democrat's side, but I would like to see the mud slinnging in the Republican primary.
it's about time!
Anything is better than Gov.Rick with a P. Hope the democrats find somebody to run.It's time for another Democratic Gov here in Texas.
Shes a bum and so is Governor Goodhair.They said yes to everything Cheney and Bush wanted.Shes in the pocket of Big Oil and Gas and has bags of money for her trouble.
All moderate Republicans and Democrats should support Hutchison over that moron Perry in the gop primary. He makes W look like a Rhodes Scholar!
Why isn't there a viable Democratic candidate for governor in The Great State of Texas? WHY?!?
If Schieffer would just apologize and admit his mistate for supporting GWB, I might vote for him; otherwise, it will depend on who else decides to run, and I sure hope we have one or two other good choices.
Texas Can Do Better? I certainly hope so...the past decade has been like watching a 4 year old bowl 20 gutter balls in a row.
I am one Texan that hopes she does not win. She's just a democrat in republican's clothes!
in the picture, she looks like she is 90 years old. she doesn't look healthy at all the poor thing.
I should've skipped the article and just looked at the picture as the caption under it answered my question. My bad!
How about a campaign called "Texas Couldn't Do Much Worse". Recent Texas politicos Armey, DeLay, Bush, Rove, etc. are a "Who's Who" of political knaves and fools. Keep them at home in the Lone Star State with the armadillos and gun nuts.
She has been an huge asset in the senate and she will make a great governor. Best of luck to her.
THANKYOU – kay
LET'S get one more Repubelican out .
GOP = PARTY OF NO
NO IDEAS ** NO FUTURE
Good, repubs fighting!
Well, that's the end of Hutchison's political career. She isn't going to beat Perry in the primary and she'll lose her senate seat trying.
Texas,49th in education,and it shows.
Just what Texas needs. Another Conservative GOP governor. Texas used to be cool.