Thursday, January 27, 2011

Michael Williams Enters U.S. Senate Race

And then there were four. Four candidates for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison are officially in the race.

Michael Williams entered the U.S. Senate race today to fill the slot left vacant by Texas senior Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison's announcement that she will not seek re-election in 2012.

Williams was first appointed to the three-member Railroad Commission of Texas in January 1999 and won election to finish the term in November 2000. He won election to full six-year terms in 2002 and 2008. He was the first African-American elected to the commission, according to his official biography. Earlier this week he announced he would step down from the commission in April to pursue the Senate race full time.

Williams, a lawyer, has held a number of government positions, his biography explains. President George H.W. Bush appointed him to positions at the Department of Education and Department of the Treasury, and George W. Bush was the one who originally appointed Williams to the Railroad Commission


Upon announcing his resignation from the Railroad Commission, Williams said,“...I have accomplished what I came to do, so it is time to move on to new challenges, new opportunities for us to do big things, and to continue to make Texas a beacon state.”

The Roll Call article linked here is wrong, by the way, in reporting that Ted Cruz is considering a bid for the seat. He announced last week.

The other two announced candidates are Elizabeth Ames Jones ,Chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission and Roger Williams , former Tx Secretary of State. Roger Williams has been endorsed by former President George H.W. Bush. Elizabeth Ames Jones has kicked off a statewide tour to introduce herself to voters.

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