The Austin Democrat says he'll leave the Legislature at the end of this term. Austin Democrat Gonzalo Barrientos, who's been a state senator since 1985 and who was in the House for 10 years before that, says he won't seek reelection at the end of this term. He didn't rule out the possibility of seeking other public office in the future, but said he isn't likely to run for any office in the 2006 elections. Former Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, who lost a 2004 bid for attorney general to Republican Greg Abbott, says he'll seek the Senate seat. Some others have expressed interest, too, but not publicly. 

A little more than a year after she left private practice to work for the Texas Supreme Court, Lisa Hobbs has been named the court's new general counsel. She's replacing Bill Willis, who retired after 27 years with the Court. Hobbs was the rules attorney for the court. Before working for a private law firm in Dallas and Austin, she clerked for former Justice James Baker and interned with Justice Nathan Hecht. Among other duties, she'll be the court's liaison with legislators and others in the Pink Building. David Weber, most recently House Speaker Tom Craddick's resident wonk on insurance, workers' comp, economic development and banking, has moved to the Texas Department of Insurance. He's the special counsel to the commissioner for policy development. Jamie Story, who just finished being Miss Texas 2004, is joining the Texas Public Policy Foundation. She's an honors graduate of Rice University, where she majored in Mathematical Economic Analysis and Sport Management. She'll work on education policy issues. 

Lacing up the running shoes.... Earlier this year, Sen. Todd Staples, R-Palestine, said he'd be running for the top job at the Texas Department of Agriculture, but that his announcement would come later. He did it this week, and so far, his is the only name in the hat. • There aren't any secrets left inside, but you can lick the envelope: Rep. Richard Raymond, D-Laredo, will run for Congress next year against freshman U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, also D-Laredo. Cuellar knocked off U.S. Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, D-San Antonio, after redistricting and several recounts in 2004. Rodriguez has been maneuvering for a rematch, and now Cuellar also has competition in his hometown. Raymond's first endorsement came from a former employer: Bob Krueger, the former congressman, senator and ambassador from New Braunfels. • Charlie Baird, a Democrat who served two terms on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, says he'll run for district court in Travis County. Judge Jon Wisser is leaving after this term, and Baird wants the gig. Baird has been working as a visiting judge and teaching at several law schools here and elsewhere (including Loyola University in New Orleans). He lost a reelection bid to the state's top criminal court in 1998, the first time in modern history that Republicans swept every statewide office on the ballot. • You might have heard a rumor, as we did, that Rep. Beverly Woolley, R-Houston, wanted to hang it up. She was on vacation when we called about it, but aides relayed a message: Woolley, the chairman of the Calendars Committee, will be running for reelection. • Rep. Linda Harper-Brown, R-Irving, says she doesn't have an opponent yet, but the big gun might help: She had U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison at her announcement to put in an endorsement. • Rep. Bob Griggs, R-North Richland Hills, wrote a goodbye letter to other educators around the state, urging them to run for legislative offices to overcome the legislative problems with public education. Griggs is leaving the House after two terms. But the former school superintendent says in his letter that people who know education are in short supply in Austin. "...I and a handful of other elected officials with education experience have witnessed and battled a misguided and widely held belief in the Legislature that established educators are the problem with education and that the system cannot be fixed without wiping the slate clean and starting over from scratch," he wrote. • Bill Welch is now "officially" in the race for the HD-47 spot now held by Rep. Terry Keel, R-Austin. Welch lost a House election for a House spot by a handful of votes to Susan Combs several years ago. He's back, after active duty stints in Iraq and Afghanistan -- he's in the Air Force Reserves. His website is www.billwelch.org. That has the makings of a crowded race if everyone who's talking about it actually runs. 

Rep. Elliott Naishtat, D-Austin, will seek reelection instead of running for an open Senate seat. After thinking about the retirement of Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos, D-Austin, for a weekend, he's decided to stay in the Texas House. "At a time when effective leadership in the House regarding health, human services and issues that affect vulnerable populations, including children, the elderly and people with disabilities, is more important than ever, I am not willing to enter into a costly, divisive Democratic primary race against my friend Kirk Watson, and risk not being in the Legislature at all," he said in a statement. Watson is the only Democrat who's said he'll be in the hunt. He hasn't said much more than that -- just that he's in and he'll talk more later -- but he's started running. He sent a letter to potential supporters (a copy can be found below) and has uncorked a website: www.kirkwatson.com.

You might hear that Sen. Kyle Janek, R-Houston, is hanging it up after the current term. You might be hearing wrong; he's in. Janek says he's down on the job right now after the failed special sessions, and he says he wanted to check with his bride before running again. "I haven't formally asked her -- I was afraid to. But I had a fundraiser last night and she showed up. That's a good sign." He says he wouldn't have held the fundraiser if he didn't intend to run. "I am running for reelection," he says. 

They're starting to kick up dust in Austin's HD-47, where Republican Rep. Terry Keel is giving up legislative work for an attempt at a judicial post. Alex Castano, a Republican who hasn't run before, is announcing this weekend. Dick Reynolds, a former rep and state official who wants another crack at legislating, plans a funder/announcement in two weeks at the Austin Club where lobsters and elected officials go to commingle. Castano runs a commercial real estate company, home schools (with his wife, like him a Rice alum) a herd of seven children, and says his campaign will be about schools, transportation, ending Robin Hood funding for schools, and toughening laws aimed at child predators. He's announcing from a middle school cafeteria (on a Saturday). His website is www.alexcastanos.com. Rich Phillips, who also wants Keel's spot in the Lege, is holding a "rally and press conference" at that same Austin Club to highlight a report from the Pacific Research Institute that ranks Texas 17th among the states in "economic freedom." Phillips, a management consultant, even sent along a list of six "third-party analysts" who could talk about his proposals and stand ready to talk to reporters about them. His website: www.voterichphillips.com. PRI identifies itself as a "free market think tank," and you can see their stuff at www.pacificresearch.org. You might have seen their studies, too; the thinkers have joined up with Forbes magazine in years past to get the work in front of a big audience. Finally, Jimmy Evans, who thought about making that race, endorsed Bill Welch in the Republican primary. Welch on the web: www.billwelch.org. 

Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams will head the state's efforts to assist Hurricane Katrina evacuees who find themselves in Texas. He's keeping his day job at the RRC, but he'll be the point person on relief efforts from now on. Ray Coffman, a captain with the Texas Rangers, will become the new chief of that unit of the state police. He's replacing Earl Pearson, who retired at the end of August. The Department of Public Safety also named a number two for that unit (replacing Coffman): Captain Jim Miller. Luke Marchant is making another move in the family business, giving up his job as an aide to U.S. Sen. John Cornyn to return to Texas for a job on Staples' campaign for ag commission. He'll work in Staples' field operations. His dad is U.S. Rep. (and former state representative) Kenny Marchant, R-Carrollton. Fired: Elizabeth Reyes, an attorney with the Texas Secretary of State's election division, after talking to the Washington Post about whether presidential advisor Karl Rove's property in Kerrville qualifies him to vote there. She told the San Antonio Express-News that she didn't know she was talking to a reporter at the time.