When she was running for governor, Kay Bailey Hutchison gave up her posts near the top of the GOP in the U.S. Senate.
Now she's making her way back. She's in the Senate Republican leadership as "counsel" — one of three in that spot — after being tapped by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Al Erwin, a lobbyist and former Public Utility Commissioner, is getting a kidney transplant next week and the donor — carefully matched up for biological compatibility and all that — is ... his wife, lobbyist Gay Erwin. A statistician would call that sort of compatibility unlikely, but there it is. Al blames Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam for his kidney problems.
Scratch John Stevens as a candidate for U.S. Attorney in the state's Eastern District. He was nominated by President Barack Obama, but withdrew his name and will run for reelection as a district court judge in Jefferson County.
Newbies: Eric Johnson, D-Dallas, is now a state representative; he was the only candidate in the special election for Terri Hodge's seat in the House. She quit as she plead guilty to federal tax charges. And Van Taylor, R-Plano is now in office; he defeated Mabrie Jackson in a GOP runoff for Brian McCall's seat. McCall quit early to become the new chancellor of the Texas State University System.
