Michael Williams Announces Bid for Senate in Texas

Texas Railroad Commission Chairman Michael Williams is running to fill Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison’s (R) seat in the Senate, becoming the latest Texas Republican to angle for the job.

Citing the likelihood of a special election to replace Hutchison, who is expected to run for governor of Texas in 2010, Williams stressed economic growth in a message to supporters.

“I have heard the calls for a new voice in Washington who can bring about change and reform to a culture that desperately needs it,” he wrote on his website. “To me change is not just a slogan, it is a lifelong calling.”

If elected, Williams would be the only African-American in the Senate after President-elect Obama resigned to assume the presidency. Williams would be the first black Republican to serve in either house since Rep. J.C. Watts (R-Okla.) retired.