July 16, 2007

Noriega Knocks Cornyn, Ignores Watts
and Enlists Hobby as Exploratory Chair

By Mike Hailey
Capitol Inside Editor

State Rep. Rick Noriega is one step away from an official U.S. Senate race after filing an exploratory committee that will chaired by Houston investor Paul Hobby with former Academy Stores owner Arthur Gochman as its treasurer.

The Houston Democrat announced the formation of the exploratory effort Monday under a sweltering July sun on the south grounds of the Texas Capitol beside a monument to the heroes of the Alamo. Noriega used the opportunity to play up his own experience as a National Guard officer who spent more than a year in Afghanistan in the war on terror before assuming leadership roles in a border security operation in Laredo and hurricane relief efforts in his hometown.

The five-term lawmaker attempted to tie the Republican incumbent he hopes to defeat to an unpopular president - describing U.S. Senator John Cornyn as "the number one cheerleader" for the Bush administration and the "failed policies" it has pursued and defended. But Noriega chose to ignore his chief primary rival while refusing to be drawn into a discussion with reporters about the financial disadvantage he's expected to face against San Antonio attorney Mikal Watts in the battle for the Democratic nomination in the U.S. Senate race next year. Noreiga acknowledged that the race will be expensive when pressed on the subject, but he offered no projections on how much money he hoped to raise for the contest, assuming he actually runs as expected. Watts, a successful trial lawyer who's represented plaintiffs in high-profile civil cases, has vowed to spend at least $3 million of his own money on a primary campaign in the fight for the seat that Cornyn claimed in 2002 and another $7 million on the general election if he's still in the race at that point in the game.

Watts' new campaign finance report that's due today at the Federal Election Commission is expected to show that he's raised an additional $1.1 million on top of that.

Noriega will be hoping to offset Watts' superiority in the money department with the pull that a Hispanic surname has in a Democratic primary in Texas while stressing his record in the military and the part he played in Houston's response to the flood of refugees into the city during Hurricane Katrina in September 2005 and emergency efforts that were required as Hurricane Rita swept ashore later that month. From a publicity standpoint, Noriega also has the advantage of being married to Houston's newest city council member, Melissa Noriega, who represented him in the Texas House during the legislative sessions in 2005 while he was on active duty in Afghanistan. Melissa Noriega won a seat on the council last month.

Noriega said the war in Iraq is the number one issue among Texans - and he said that he would support the implementation of the recommendations from the Iraqi Study Group that was led by Houston's James Baker, a former secretary of state under President George H.W. Bush.

Noriega suggested that his U.S. Senate campaign - if he runs - will be more about pulling together Texans who've answered a call to service like he has demonstrated as a 26-year military veteran who's served in the Legislature for almost one-third of that time. But Noriega also faces the challenge of keeping his own support from unraveling amid a report that suggests that three moderate Democratic state House colleagues may not be in his camp despite signing a letter along with several dozen other House Democrats urging him to seek the U.S. Senate seat earlier this year. The Austin American-Statesman reported this past weekend that Democratic State Reps. Chuck Hopson of Jacksonville, Jim McReynolds of Lufkin and Allan Ritter of Nederland had signed the letter for Noriega before they were aware that Watts would be a candidate for the post.

The enlistment of Hobby as the exploratory committee chairman could help Noriega with moderates and independents. The son of former Texas Lieutenant Governor Bill Hobby, the younger Hobby came closer than any Democrat to winning statewide office in 1998 when he was edged out in the comptroller's race by Republican Carole Keeton Strayhorn. Hobby had been mentioned as a possible statewide candidate in 2006 before he decided against another race then. A former top aide to the late Bob Bullock when he was lieutenant governor, Hobby leads a private equity group that's investing in telecommunications and high-tech ventures.

Hobby described Noriega as the "go-to guy" in Houston. "In the tragic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Rick provided the leadership to create order and humanity out of an almost unfathomably messy refugee situation at the George R. Brown Convention Center," Hobby said.

Gochman is a longtime contributor to Democratic candidates on the state and federal levels.