Rick Noriega vs. John Cornyn: Mikal Watts Bows Out

There's been some rumblings and some buzz about Mikal Watts admitting out loud that campaigning for U.S. Senate has been harder work than he expected. And then there was his no-show this past Saturday at the Harris County Democratic Party's Johnson Rayburn Richards dinner - a gathering of 800 electeds and activists - where he had bought a table and was slated to introduce the speaker, Rahm Emmanuel. Today, Mikal Watts announced he is dropping out of the race for U.S. Senate:

"For the last five months I have been exploring a race for the United States Senate because I believe that our junior senator, John Cornyn, has let Texas down and is more concerned with his cronies and friends in Washington than with what's best for Texas. "After spending the last several months putting everything into this campaign, I have seen the toll this effort has taken on my young children. For these reasons, my wife and I have made the decision that I will not be seeking the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate in 2008. I was brought up to believe that public service is a noble endeavor and I will continue to be involved at some level in the future. However, I realize that my time now should be devoted to serving my children so they may grow up in a healthy environment with both parents at home to meet their needs. "The reasons for creating my exploratory committee still exist. As I have criss-crossed the state and met and talked with tens of thousands of good Texans, it is evident how much the people of Texas want and need a Senator who will fight every day for their interests and not the special interests. We need to elect a new Senator in Texas and I will personally do everything possible to support the Democratic nominee. "It is hard to express the gratitude I feel for all the support my family and I have received as we have pursued this effort. I know that our vision for the future of Texas is one that all of our friends and supporters share. It's been one of the greatest blessings of my life for their faith in me, and for all of their hard work over the past months. While the decision not to seek the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate has been a difficult one, I know that it is the right one for my family at this time."

I'm hoping to see a Rick Noriega endorsement from Watts soon. They would make a great team going after John Cornyn. Watts has a wonderful opportunity to help candidates up and down the ballot all over Texas. This is just getting more exciting!