Sen. Hutchison Eyes Run for Texas Governor

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison will not seek re-election in 2012, and may end her term early to run for Texas governor, she told Texas Monthly. But Hutchison said it's "too early to be gearing up" for the 2010 gubernatorial election now because she doesn't "want to peak in 2007."

Hutchison, the highest ranking Republican woman in the Senate, joins five GOP senators who have announced plans to retire before the current term ends. Observers say Hutchison's decision is more a matter of longing to return to her home state than a sign of the times. One political scientist thinks Hutchison would prefer being "chief executive officer of the state, rather than one of a hundred.” (More Texas stories.)