White kicks off his campaign for governor

But Perry has little to say about the Houston mayor's bid
Mayor Bill White on Friday officially threw his hat into the ring for the Texas governor's race, taking a few swipes at incumbent Rick Perry and offering a preview of a campaign that hopes to take the first Democrat to the governor's mansion since Ann Richards was defeated in 1994 by George W. Bush.

In a 15-minute speech that one political analyst called “passionate for Bill White,” the mayor focused on education and pocketbook issues, such as Texas' high home insurance and electricity rates. Without saying his name, White repeatedly attacked the leadership of Perry, who is locked in what many believe will be a nasty primary race with Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.

He also sought to move attention away from Washington and the declining popularity of President Barack Obama, a factor that undoubtedly will make White's race harder to win in a state that generally trends Republican by six to eight points.

Despite the snowy weather Friday, several hundred people — including a who's who of City Hall aides and officials — attended the announcement at the Hilton Americas Hotel and loudly cheered White's every punch line.

“Shouldn't we be the state that leads the nation and not leaves the nation?” he asked, getting in a poke at Perry's occasional overtures to Texas independence. White said he wanted to “brighten the star” in the Lone Star State by propelling Texas to the top of the nation in high school graduation rates and “hold a governor accountable” for poor performance in that and other areas.

Perry defended the fact that the state has the highest insurance rates in the nation, saying Texas' weather is to blame. He said his regulators are doing a good job of holding rates in line.

“I really don't give Bill White a lot of thought at the moment,” Perry said. “When he becomes the nominee of the party, we might engage.”

Perry went on to say White “needs to be talking with Mr. Farouk,” a reference to billionaire hair products magnate Farouk Shami, a Democrat who has pledged to spend $20 million on his gubernatorial bid.

Hopes of a comeback
Although Shami's pledge is formidable, most analysts believe White is the clear favorite in a Democratic field that grew less crowded Friday when Tyler-area rancher Hank Gilbert dropped out of the race and endorsed Shami. Kinky Friedman, a satirist from Austin, and Fort Worth schoolteacher Felix Alvarado remain in the contest.

Among his fellow Democrats, White's entry into the race has ignited hopes of a comeback across the state, as several well-known candidates have begun to announce their intentions to seek other statewide offices. Gilbert, for one, announced he will run for agriculture commissioner.

Gilbert had been building a base of support among Democratic progressives who had been turned off by former candidate Tom Schieffer's ties to George W. Bush. Shami noted he will have to earn that same support in the coming weeks.

The mayor's potential advantage over opponents allowed him to train his focus early on Perry and the perceived vulnerabilities of the state's Republican leadership.
He pledged to lower electric rates, to keep members of his staff as governor from taking “lucrative” jobs as lobbyists, and to appoint people to boards or commissions that are not campaign contributors.

Speech called ‘passionate'
White touted some of the hallmarks of his City Hall administration on energy, environmental and ethics issues. He also made an effort to cast his critics as “career” politicians who only wish to belittle the state, a charge that will most likely be leveled back in his direction as he criticizes the state's posture under Perry.

“We should not put up with Texans who put other people down in order to build their career up,” White said.

University of Houston political scientist Richard Murray, who was on hand for the speech, noted that it was “passionate” for White, who is well known in the city for his often arcane and hyper-detailed explanations of policy ideas and programs.

“We just saw the pretty complete program the mayor will run on for governor: part economic distress, part bipartisanship and part concern for the state's future,” Murray said. “Perry seemed very much the target. The 2010 political season is looking to be a hell of a lot more interesting than it did a year ago, that's for sure.”


News Source: chron.com


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