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WASHINGTON -- U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison took the first formal step Thursday toward a run for Texas governor, accelerating an already contentious prelude to what probably will be a bruising Republican primary battle in 2010 between her and Gov. Rick Perry.
Hutchison released a statement saying she was establishing a gubernatorial exploratory committee, as required by law, and transferring $1 million into it from her federal account.
The senator reported to the Federal Election Commission in October that she had about $8.7 million in her federal campaign account on Sept. 30. Perry reported having almost $3 million at the end of June. He is not required to file another report until January, and a spokesman declined to release an updated total.
Hutchison's announcement was less than an hour old when the two campaigns offered a preview of the tenor of the primary.
Hutchison's statement took several swipes at Perry, saying there was "too much bitterness, too much anger, too little trust, too little consensus and too much infighting" in Austin.
"The tone comes from the top," she said. "Texans are looking for leadership and results."
Perry's staff wasted no time responding.
"Kay Bailout has been talking about running for governor and passing legislation for years, and neither has ever happened," said Mark Miner, a spokesman for Perry. "Today she continues her streak of indecision."
The play on Hutchison's middle name was a reference to the senator's vote in favor of the $700 billion financial bailout.
Hutchison declined an interview request from The Associated Press, but Patrick Oxford, a Houston energy lawyer and longtime friend and adviser, said that the senator was not "undecided" that and he expected her to make a formal announcement next year.
Todd Olsen, a campaign consultant to Hutchison, said forming the exploratory committee allowed the senator to start talking to people and to work on the logistics of campaign travel and staff.
Among those advising Hutchison now are Oxford, former Texas GOP Chairman Fred Meyer and former House Majority Leader Dick Armey.
Oxford dismissed any effect a Perry-Hutchison brawl might have on the Texas GOP, noting that losing the governorship after 15 years would be worse than any intraparty squabble.
"Kay will win; polls show that Perry may not," Oxford said. "He only garnered 39 percent of the vote against a weak field the last time out."
Perry defeated Democrat Chris Bell and independents Kinky Friedman and Carole Keeton Strayhorn in 2006. He is the longest-serving Texas governor.
Hutchison is in for an education if she runs, said longtime Perry pollster Mike Baselice.
"What she's going to get in a campaign is a large dose of reality regarding her ineffectiveness and failures in the U.S. Senate," Baselice said. "And she'll be exposed for the liberal that she is."
Hutchison considered taking on Perry in 2006 but decided against embarking on a divisive primary battle. She also considered running for governor in 2002.
Democrats looked forward to the primary season.
"This is basically going to be a bloodbath between two members of the Republican Party who are basically the old blood of the Republican Party," said Texas Democratic Party spokesman Hector Nieto.
Hutchison has said she may leave the Senate as early as next year to campaign. Her term ends in 2012. If that happened, Perry would appoint a replacement to the seat until an election was held.
Republican consultant Craig Murphy said that former Texas Secretary of State Roger Williams probably would run for her seat in a special election and that "he is one of the leading contenders for appointment."
Republican state Sen. Florence Shapiro is raising money for a possible run to replace Hutchison. Other possible contenders are Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Michael Williams, chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission. Among Democrats, names that have surfaced include former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk, who lost a 2002 Senate bid to John Cornyn; former Texas Comptroller John Sharp; state Rep. Leticia Van de Putte of San Antonio; state Rep. Richard Peña Raymond of Laredo; and Dallas state Rep. Rafael Anchia.
Hutchison first joined the Senate in 1993 in a special election to fill the seat vacated by former Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, who became treasury secretary. She won her first full six-year term in 1994 and re-election in 2000 and 2006, garnering more than 60 percent of the vote in each election.
