Field for Texas Governor’s Race Broadens

And finally a Democrat of some note declares.

Democrat Chris Bell on Sunday formally kicked off his campaign for governor, focusing on failed attempts to reform school finance and saying his patience for Gov. Rick Perry has run out.

“Rick Perry just doesn’t get it,” Bell told a crowd of about 100 enthusiastic supporters in front of a statue of Martin Luther King Jr. at the University of Texas at Austin. “I know enough to listen when Texans tell me what they want.”

Bell, who lost his spot in the U.S. House of Representatives last year, said dissatisfaction with Perry prompted his decision to run for governor. He said Perry’s fiscal decisions are hurting people.

Bell promised parents he would work to make Texas public education the best in the nation within 10 years by giving teachers the resources they need. Bell suggested closing existing tax loopholes to raise money for education. He said he would release a more detailed school finance plan within a couple of weeks.

Just because he is the only declared Democrat with any political track record does not mean Bell is a shoe-in for his party’s nomination as there’s still the supposed grass-roots efforts for two-time Dem lieutenant gubernatorial candidate John Sharp and the threat of another run by the 2002 nominee Tony Sanchez. Bell does have a few negatives following him into the race.

“Chris has already been rejected by Democrats in Houston. State Democratic leaders are rejecting him by looking for someone else to run,” said Luis Saenz, Perry’s campaign director. He noted there was plenty of opposition for Bell before it was time to think about the general election in November 2006.

Currently, the hope for the eventual Dem nominee has to be for the Republican contender to be weakened coming out of a primary campaign between incumbent Rick Perry and current state comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn, a campaign already threatening to turn ugly.

Related — Campaign Sites of Declared Candidates:

Rick Perry (R, Incumbent) – Popularity and approval numbers leave him vulnerable.
Carole Keeton Strayhorn (R) – Unofficial motto of “One tough grandpa” is going to get real old real fast.
Felix Alvarado (D) – Middle School Assistant Principal. Chances? Nada.
Chris Bell (D) – Hoping bigger Democrat guns stay away from the hunt.
Richard “Kinky” Friedman (Independent) – You gotta love the “Why the hell not?” slogan.