Streusand Considering CD-36 Race

Houston businessman Ben Streusand is considering a run for Congress in CD-36, where U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman, R-Friendswood, made a surprising last-minute decision to give up his re-election bid and instead challenge U.S. Sen. John Cornyn. That triggered a one-week extension on the filing deadline for Republican candidates, and Streusand is talking to consultants.

Streusand manages a private equity firm and serves on an advisory board to Americans for Prosperity-Texas. He's also on the board of the state's Texas Tuition Funds and the Texas Tomorrow Fund. And he has run for office before, spending almost $3 million, according to the Houston Chronicle, in an unsuccessful 2004 primary and runoff for Congress against Michael McCaul, R-Austin.

Streusand's name resurfaced in 2011 amid speculation that McCaul might run for Kay Bailey Hutchison's Senate seat; Streusand said he would consider running for McCaul's seat if that happened. It didn't, and he didn't.