Even with Texas Gov. Rick Perry in the race (maybe), the Lone Star State is up for grabs. A poll from the University of Texas and the Texas Tribune found that former Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska led the Republican pack in Texas with 12 percent of the vote, with former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich right behind her with 11 percent. Mike Huckabee, who announced earlier in the month that he was not running, took 10 percent which tied himfor third with a favorite son of the Lone Star State -- U.S. Rep. Ron Paul. Former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann each took 7 percent. As for Perry, he took 4 percent in his own state Is former Mayor Rudy Giuliani of New York City looking to make another run for the Republican presidential nomination? He flopped in 2008 but U.S. Rep. Peter King, a Long Island Republican with close ties to Giuliani, insists that the former mayor is close to making a second presidential bid
Expect an announcement in early June from former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania that he will run for the presidency. He has already formed an exploratory committee and has been extremely active in the early battlegrounds -- namely Iowa and New Hampshire. Santorums efforts in New Hampshire received a boost on Wednesday when he announced that Hillsborough County Attorney Dennis Hogan, four state representatives and conservative activist and fund-raiser Steven Lewis were all backing his campaign U.S. Rep. Thad McCotter of Michigan continues to insist he is looking at entering the Republican presidential primaries and will make a decision in the next two weeks. While no sitting member of the U.S. House has been elected president since James Garfield won the 1880 presidential election, McCotter insists that new media can help propel a dark horse to victory Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey blew off reports that Democratic operatives were doing research on him, noting that they would never be able to use it. Christie has been repeating that he will not enter the presidential race
Barack Obamas fund-raising team is headed to New York to work donors closely tied to his Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. While Obama beat Clinton for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, the presidents campaign manager Jim Messina met with billionaire Marc Lasry and other Clinton backers on Monday night in New York. The Obama team will be having a major fund-raiser in New York on June 23, which Lasry is helping to back Obama will be headed back to Puerto Rico. In his battle with Clinton in 2008, Obama visited the island and will be making a presidential visit on June 14. Democratic leaders are hoping the trip will help Obamas turnout with Puerto Rican voters come 2012 ... One of the big winners in Democrats picking up a congressional seat in a special election on Tuesday is Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York, who released a last-minute web video backing winning candidate Kathy Hochul. Cuomo should receive a lot of buzz as a Democratic candidate in 2016, though what he does remains dependent on Clinton
At least one state is expected to cancel its presidential primary in 2012. The Kansas Legislature forwarded a bill to pull the plug on the state's primary to save money. Gov. Sam Brownback is expected to sign it With two different factions -- one loyal to the national Constitution Party and the other loyal to Alan Keyes Americas Independent Party -- having fought the better part of three years over control of the American Independent Party line in California, the national Constitution Party is now encouraging AIP members to jump ship. If they can get more than 103,000 Californians to register over to the Constitution Party, their presidential candidate will have ballot access in the nations largest state. Look for the national Constitution Party to reach out to current American Independent Party members in the Golden State to make that move The Reform Party is looking for a presidential candidate in 2012. Previous nominees have included Ross Perot in 1996, Pat Buchanan in 2000 and Ralph Nader in 2004, though the party has shrunk considerably in recent years. There is a group working to draft former U.S. Sen. Mike Gravel of Alaska, who ran for the Democratic and Libertarian nominations in 2008, to run on the Reform Party line in 2012.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
