No 2012 run for Sen. Ogden
Saying his political career is likely coming to an end, Bryan state Sen. Steve Ogden announced Tuesday that he won't run for re-election in 2012.
"I have been [in office] long enough," said the Republican, who has served 14 years in the Senate and 21 total in the Texas Legislature. "I am satisfied with the results and now I think it is time to give other people a chance."
Ogden has been one of the most powerful members of the Senate in recent years due to his plum appointment as chairman of the Finance Committee. He has held the District 5 seat since 1997, representing 13 counties from north of Austin to Huntsville.
He had been considered a possible candidate for lieutenant governor if incumbent David Dewhurst wins his race for the U.S. Senate in 2012. By law, Dewhurst's replacement would be a sitting senator voted on by his colleagues. The chosen person could then immediately be promoted to governor if Gov. Rick Perry is successful in his race for the White House. If that happened, the Senate would choose another of its members to be lieutenant governor.
But Ogden said that he doesn't think that he can be that choice now that he isn't running for re-election.
"One of the reasons that I have kinda waited until this date [to decide] is to think through this issue," he said. "It is true that there could be an opening in the governor's and lieutenant governor's office, but I thought that was very speculative and not a very good reason to run for re-election."
Still, the move isn't a complete surprise. Ogden announced he wouldn't run for re-election in 2010, before changing his mind and filing at the last minute. He ended up easily winning back his seat, but never committed to running again in 2012, a year in which all Texas senators are up for re-election because of redistricting.
Ogden didn't rule out the idea of staying in politics, but said it wasn't likely.
"I will be 61 tomorrow and I would like to focus the next several years on family and business," he said. "By that time, I would be getting kind of old."
He said he will leave the Senate proud of the state budgets he helped write and the contributions he made to Texas A&M and other local institutions.
"Texas is a beacon state and its fiscal policies are lighting the way for our nation," he said.
Local officials said they will be disappointed to see Ogden go, but praised his work for Brazos County.
"It doesn't matter if it is Brazos County, statewide or nationwide, people like Senator Ogden don't come along every day," said Brazos County GOP Chairman Paul Rieger. "It is a tremendous loss for everybody; it doesn't matter if you are Democrat or a Republican. The Brazos Valley is going to lose a major player in politics."
Ogden is the second Bryan legislator to announce that he is leaving office this year. Rep. Fred Brown, also a Republican, resigned in June after taking a job outside his district. His replacement will be selected in November.
But Brazos County may have difficulty finding a local replacement for Ogden. Since Ogden was elected in 1997, the population in District 5 has shifted westward.
Williamson County, home to Austin suburbs, has doubled in population to 422,679 since 1997. Brazos County has only grown by 50 percent in that time to 194,851.
"If it hadn't been for Steve Ogden's name, there likely would be representation from [Williamson County] at this point," Rieger said.
Hours after Ogden's announcement, Georgetown State Rep. Charles Schwertner, a Republican, announced he will run for the seat. Schwertner, an orthopedic surgeon, was elected to the House in 2010.
"I have the utmost respect for the job Senator Ogden has done, and feel it's important that the people of Senate District 5 continue to be represented by someone who shares their values and conservative principles: a government that lives within its means, taxes which are low and fair, and a regulator environment that doesn't punish small business," Schwertner said in a press release.
Ogden acknowledged that a Williamson County candidate will likely have an advantage in the race, but noted that his predecessor was from the tiny town of Crockett. Either way, he said, geography shouldn't be the biggest issue for voters.
"I don't think it is necessarily important in a Senate seat for a person to be from a particular locale," he said. "What is important is that the person tries to represent the entire district."
