Political People and their Moves

Sen. Dan Patrick’s announcement that he will run for lieutenant governor next year was expected, but the timing of his announcement serves as a commentary on Dewhurst’s performance — especially during the just-ended special session.

Patrick, a Houston Republican, joins Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson and Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples in challenging Dewhurst. On paper, it resembles a race for an open seat even though the incumbent has been in office since 2002. In a recent University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll, three-fifths of Republican voters said they hadn’t thought about the race enough to choose a candidate. That sort of thing is good news for the challengers. 

David Watts, a business consultant from Northeast Texas, says he is running for land commissioner, a job opening because of Patterson's run for Lite Guv. Watts will face George P. Bush in that primary.

Eric Opiela, a former Republican Party official who ranches and practices law, will run for agriculture in 2014. 

And former Harris County Tax Assessor Collector Paul Bettencourt will run for Patrick’s seat, he announced just a bit after Patrick declared his intention to challenge Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. Bettencourt started a tax consultancy after leaving the county job.

After weeks of talking to potential supporters about it, Railroad Commissioner Barry Smitherman announced his candidacy for attorney general, saying he will only run if Attorney General Greg Abbott doesn’t seek reelection. Smitherman, a Republican, was appointed by Gov. Rick Perry and then won election last year.

Earlier this year, Rep. Mark Strama, D-Austin, said he wouldn’t seek another term and said he was mulling a run for mayor. Modify the first bit and scratch the second: Strama resigned his public job to lead Google Fiber’s operations in Austin. He’ll help start up their high-speed internet project in the capital city. The governor will have to call a special election to fill that seat.

Mark Miner is returning to the fold, leaving the private sector to become a senior advisor to Gov. Rick Perry. He worked on several Perry campaigns and worked for Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst before that.

Press corps moves: Kate Galbraith, a terrific reporter who covered energy and environment for the Texas Tribune for the last three years, is leaving for sunny California. And Julian Aguilar, who joined the Tribune after writing for Texas Weekly and other publications for years, is leaving Austin to open a border bureau, based in El Paso.