Tom Leppert - Political Future

Political Future

In late 2008, it was widely rumored that Leppert would run in a potential special election for Kay Bailey Hutchison's United States Senate seat, which she was widely expected to vacate during her run for Texas governor; in a December newspaper interview, Leppert denied he had started to campaign, but he refused to entirely rule out the possibility. However, Hutchison retained her Senate seat, and her gubernatorial campaign ended when she lost the 2010 Texas Republican primary to incumbent Rick Perry.

Rumors soon circulated that Leppert was considering a Senate run directly against Hutchison in 2012, a possibility he did not refute during an April 2010, interview.

In January 2011, Leppert announced that he would not seek re-election to the office of mayor in May. This further fueled speculation that he was planning a run for the now open U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Hutchison.

On February 22, 2011, it was reported that Leppert would announce his resignation from the office of mayor the next day. The Washington Post noted that this is a necessary first step for his expected run for Senate because Dallas law prohibits the mayor from running for another office while still serving as mayor.

Leppert resigned his seat as mayor effective at midnight on February 25, 2011. He told The Dallas Morning News that his campaign for the U.S. Senate would begin immediately, with Mike Slanker, former political director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, acting as his chief campaign consultant.

Leppert was eliminated from the U.S. Senate race after finishing third in the May 29, 2012 Republican primary election, earning 13.3% of the votes cast. Former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz eventually won the 2012 Republican nomination for the open Senate seat, defeating Lt. Governor David Dewhurst in the Republican primary runoff by 57% to 43% on July 31, 2012.