Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX) is not up for re-election in 2010, but is already preparing to make a run for governor in that same year. This means that her seat will be vacant in 2010 and there will be a special election, giving the Democrats a good shot of picking up the seat then.
Hutchinson has said that she will step down from the Senate in late 2009, prompting Republican Gov. Rick Perry--the man she'll be facing off against in what is sure to be a bitterly fought primary--to appoint an interim successor, who may or may not run to keep the seat in 2010.
On the Republican side, there is expected to be a bloody fight for the nomination as former GOP Secretary of State Roger Williams and Republican state Sen. Florence Shapiro of Dallas have announced that they will run--and I'm sure that most if not all of Texas's 20 Republican representatives are strongly considering running.
Both national and state-level Democrats have convinced Houston Mayor Bill White to run for the open seat. White has proved himself a capable candidate in a state that is unfriendly and unforgiving to Democrats, winning re-election in 2007 with 86% of the vote.
The Democrats will still probably be the underdogs going into the race, but they will surely put up a fight. And having such a popular figure run for office, as well as the prospect of a bitter and bruising Republican primary might give them hope of flipping a Senate seat in a very red state.
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