Monday, Sept. 28, is the last day in which U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison can resign her seat and the special election to fill the vacancy be held in conjunction with the Nov. 3 constitutional amendment election. Should she resign today? Take The Survey And Read More. Survey at right.
According to Secretary of State Hope Andrade, a special election to replace Hutchison could cost local taxpayers up to $30 million if she resigns after today.
That cost will be borne by local taxing entities, including an expected run-off election.
Of course, the decision of when to hold the special election is left largely in the hands of the incumbent governor, Rick Perry, who Hutchison is challenging in the primary.
Even if, hypothetically, Hutchison was unopposed in the primary and general elections, a special election would still be needed before January 2011, as her term does not expire until early in 2013 (the 2012 election cycle).
There are some analysts who think the Nov. 3 election date could make it harder for Republicans to keep the seat; which could in turn weigh negatively in some Republican primary voters’ minds if the seat flipped parties.
This is because turn-out on Nov. 3 could be expected to be small, and there is a large number of Republicans declared for the seat but only a few Democrats. Additionally, a city council race in Houston could turn the tide for Democratic senatorial candidate and Houston mayor Bill White.
Still, resigning now could allow Sen. Hutchison to focus on state-level issues.
On the other hand, it could also take her and her campaign too far out of the spotlight on important issues in a critical time as voters are weighing her candidacy.
A tough decision on a Monday! What would you do?
Take the survey: Should U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison resign her seat today?
http://www.empowertexans.com/hutchison_survey
