AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ The primary is still nearly a year away, but U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Gov. Rick Perry are already jockeying for position in their bid to win the Republican primary for governor.
Hutchison struck first this month at a Round Rock reception when she chatted up professional fund-raiser Susan Lilly.
Lilly is respected in Republican circles and has helped raise money for Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and the Republican Party of Texas, among others.
Her presence at the March 20 event has touched off political tension between the campaigns, with Perry consultant Dave Carney saying it meant Hutchison was shoring up lackluster fund-raising. And, Hutchison campaign manager Rick Wiley said that Hutchison entered the year with more cash to run than Perry.
With Republicans nationwide wondering how to reunite the party, two of Texas’ highest profile Republicans are trading jabs in advance of the 2010 primary race.
Perry insists he’s not thinking about any election during the legislative session, and Hutchison has said she won’t formally declare her challenge until summer.
But still, it’s clear that their clash has already started. Hutchison has rapidly built her campaign team, while the Perry re-election campaign has been digging for dirt on her husband, Dallas bond lawyer Ray Hutchison, at Dallas City Hall.