Looking for Promotion (Updated)

With Republican representatives lining up to replace Tom Craddick as House speaker, finally a Democrat has entered the race. Well, Democrat of sorts.

Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, declared at noon today that he'll be standing as speaker for the '09 session. Distancing himself from Craddick and making conciliatory bipartisan noises, he said, "I have worked effectively in the House under a Democratic majority, and I have worked effectively in the House under a Republican majority. I have sought to treat every member with the utmost respect, and I have worked to operate the House with the utmost degree of integrity."

Even though he's a Dem in a GOP-dominated House, he's a stronger potential candidate than many in the field. As speaker pro tem for the last three sessions, he's no stranger to wielding the gavel. Plus Turner has a reputation as a bridge builder and a stickler for House rules, and his office was pivotal in helping expose the scandal at Texas Youth Commission. However, that could all be outweighed by his reputation as an unwavering Craddick loyalist who did little to settle the mood and concerns of the House.

Update: As has been pointed out, Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, was actually the first Dem to get in the race. Apologies for the howling omission - we blame the sine die parties.