AUSTIN - With former Democratic frontrunner Ricardo Sanchez out of the U.S. Senate race, former House Public Education Chairman Paul Sadler and Houston lawyer Jason Gibson announced Monday that they would make bids to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Sadler, 56, who currently leads The Wind Coalition, was a leading voice on public education and school funding issues in the Legislature during the 1990's.

"We have a senator who's good for business," he said. "It's time for us to have a senator that's good for the people of this state."

Gibson is president of the Houston Trial Lawyers Association, and credits his late grandfather, O.D. Kenemore, a South Texas advocate for workers rights and a member of the Texas Labor Hall of Fame, with influencing his legal and political interests.

The Democratic nominee would face whoever wins a spirited four-way Republican primary battle between Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz, former Dallas mayor Tom Leppert and former ESPN sportscaster Craig James.

Sadler said he "firmed up" his decision to enter the race after Sanchez, who was favored to win the Democratic nomination, dropped out of the race Friday. The retired Army general's campaign had trouble raising money, never put together a staff, and struggled to get off the ground.

"He's going to have some appeal" to Austin insiders "but he just doesn't strike me as the sort of lightning strike that the Democrats are looking for," Jim Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin, said of Sadler.

'2nd bite at the apple'

"The Democrats are having trouble filling the ballot with top-notch candidates," Henson said. "With the second bite at the apple, we'll see if the party can do any better."

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Gibson, founder of Houston's Gibson Law Firm, represents victims of fraud, defective drugs and other products, consumer scams and insurance company abuse.

"I became a candidate today for the U.S. Senate because Texans want common-sense government and a level playing field for ordinary, hard-working citizens in the workplace, in the community and at the courthouse," Gibson said. "The balance of power in this country has shifted away from most of our citizens to a few powerful special interests. I hope to help reverse that trend. We can and must do better for the people of Texas."

Veteran Democratic campaign strategists said they were optimistic that Sadler's experience would make him a better candidate than Sanchez.

"He is a thoughtful and aggressive campaigner. He will represent us very well," said Jeff Crosby, who has been involved with Democratic politics for decades.

Harold Cook, another longtime Democratic strategist, said he thought Sadler would have credibility with Democratic donors that other candidates have not had.

"People who are open to funding a Democrat for U.S. Senate are going to be very open to him," he said.

Sadler said he thinks the debate over the national debt, budget deficits and immigration will define the 2012 Senate race, and tried out an early answer on immigration.

It remains vital, he said, for the country to have secure borders and to do whatever is necessary to secure those borders.

"But it's also the only reasonable and rational policy to create a very clear pathway to citizenship," he said.

Long dry spell

Texas Democrats have not won a statewide race since Dan Morales' 1994 re-election as attorney general. Political experts and demographics suggest Democrats must excite the state's Latinos to win statewide offices.

Sadler said his strategy for appealing to Hispanics is "the same with any community - get out and talk to them and hear their concerns."

Sadler represented the Henderson region of East Texas during his 12 years in the Legislature. He made Texas Monthly's Top 10 list of legislators for four of his six terms.

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