Bay City Tribune

John Sharp laid out his plans to win the U.S. Senate seat - if and when incumbent Kay Bailey Hutchison resigns - at a fund-raising reception in Bay City Thursday night.

Sharp greeted several longtime friends here at the Bay City Country Club reception that drew about 55 people. Many of those friendships date to when he served Matagorda County in the Texas Senate.

A native of Placedo - between Port Lavaca and Victoria - Sharp not only served in the senate but was a member of the Texas Railroad Commission and had a successful tenure as State Comptroller.

As comptroller, Sharp streamlined the food stamp program by introducing the Lone Star Card that eliminated wasteful administrative costs and fraud, as well as cleaned up the recipient rolls.

In his remarks to those attending, Sharp, a Democrat, first called attention to STP, appreciating its presence in Matagorda County and declaring his strong support for building more nuclear plants to meet the nation's future energy needs.

"This is the way to go," Sharp said, adding that would be a priority of his if he is elected to the U.S. Senate.

Sharp explained his candidacy is for the senate seat that incumbent Hutchison would vacate - if she proceeds with her previously announced intentions to run for governor of Texas.

Should Hutchison resign her seat, Sharp said Governor Rick Perry would have between 37 and 90 days to call a special election to fill that position.

Whether the candidates are Democrat, Republican or Independent, all of them would run in the same election - there would be no primaries - and the top two vote-getters would face off in a runoff, with the winner going to the senate.

Sharp reminded his audience that was the process that Hutchison won her senate seat. When President Bill Clinton appointed then-U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen to the Treasury Secretary post in the 1990s, Hutchison and Bob Krueger were the top two in that special election and Hutchison won the runoff.

Event organizers were satisfied with the turnout and the fund-raising effort that generated about $4,000 for the Texans for John Sharp campaign.