Fort Worth-based lawyer Tom Schieffer said on Monday he is exploring whether the Texas Democratic Party would back him in a 2010 run for governor of the Lone Star State.
Schieffer has formed a gubernatorial campaign committee to raise money, but he said in a news conference he would not make the final decision to run or not for several months.
Schieffer has had a long history with former President George W. Bush. He was the president of the Texas Rangers baseball club when George W. Bush was general managing partner. While president, Bush named Schieffer as ambassador to Australia, and then to Japan.
Schieffer supported Bush in his 1994 gubernatorial campaign, and backed him in the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections. That said, filled out his application to become an ambassador by listing his political affiliation as Democrat.
“I’m not new to the Democratic Party,” Schieffer said.
He served Fort Worth as a Democratic legislator from 1973-78.