I don't know about anyone else, but I am so tired of hearing that Susan Reed may be running for Attorney General. These rumors have been around for years and have come to naught each and every year.
An article in the Express-News on Sunday reiterated the rumors once again:
Reed, a Republican who will seek a fifth term, has a spring campaign event.Can we please put an end to these rumors? Reed is not going to run for Attorney General...EVER. I may be going out on a limb by saying it, but I'll stay on that limb till it either breaks and she runs or holds steady and she just retires. I don't agree with Reed on much, but I too am "amused by the persistent rumors."
“I have already secured my first huge supporter who is doing a fund-raiser for me, and that is Red McCombs, on April 11,” she said, adding that she's amused by persistent whispers that she might run for attorney general.
“I don't want to move to Austin. I love San Antonio and have no intention (to run for AG), although many people have suggested it to me,” Reed said.
My reasoning? Age and history.
Looking at the Attorney General's office since 1901 there have been 26 AGs and no one has been elected to that office older than 53. Looking back at every Attorney General since Texas was a Republic, no AG has been elected in their 60s. Reed is currently 62 and would be 63 if she ran and won. Some may have been in office while in their 60s or older, but no attorney general has been elected while in their 60s.
I use 1901 has the starting point because the further back you go, the average age seemed to go down. People didn't live as long, you had to make your political moves sooner. In addition, the nature of the state has changed in terms of campaigning for a statewide office.
The oldest age that was elected since 1901? B.F. Looney, age 53. 10 years younger than Reed.
The youngest since 1901? Dan Moody, James Allred, & Gerald Mann, all age 31. 32 years younger than Reed.
The average age of those 26 AGs is 42. 21 years younger than Reed.
Some may say, well 60 is the new 40. All that means is 40 used to be the age at which people died. Now that age is 60. I.E., 60, not 40, is the new age at which people die.
The last time a DA made the direct leap to AG was 1934 with William McCraw who went from Dallas DA to AG.
After McCraw, the AGs held the following office immediately prior to their election as AG:
Gerald Mann, Assistant Attorney General
Grover Sellers, Justice on the 6th Court of Appeals
Price Daniel, Texas House Speaker
John Shepperd, Texas Secretary of State
Will Wilson, Texas Supreme Court Justice
Waggoner Carr, Texas House Speaker
Crawford Martin, Texas Secretary of State
John Hill, Texas Secretary of State
Mark White, Texas Secretary of State
Jim Mattox, Congressman
Dan Morales, Texas State Rep.
John Cornyn, Texas Supreme Court Justice
Greg Abbott, Texas Supreme Court Justice
Notice anything?
Except for Sellers, they all have/had an Austin connection (Mattox was a State Rep prior to becoming a Congressman). Working in Austin gives you a good start. It gives you access and connections to people throughout the state...people like lobbyists and moneyed-interests.
In addition, notice how many held positions of statewide prominence: House Speaker, Secretary of State, Supreme Court Justice. 9 out of 13.
To all press and journalists, stop mentioning that there are rumors Reed will run for AG. And to any donors out there who think she's going to run and that's the primary reason for donating to her re-election campaigns...find someone else to hitch your wagon to. If she were going to run for AG she should have done it 10 years ago in 2002 when it was an open seat.
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