U.S. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas is the new head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee — the guy raising money and standing over the political war maps in anticipation of the 2010 Senate elections. His rise was made possible by U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's decision not to seek reelection as head of the Senate Republican Conference. She's clearing the decks for an expected gubernatorial run in 2010.

And U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions of Dallas won the top spot at the National Republican Congressional Committee, where he'll try to pull the Republicans out of their minority status in the lower chamber.

Anne Heiligenstein will be the next commissioner at the state's Department of Family and Protective Services. She's currently the deputy commission at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, worked in the White House, for the governor's office, and for what was then the Texas Department of Human Services.

Trent Townsend, the legislative director for Sen. Kim Brimer, R-Fort Worth, is moving on; he's the new chief of staff to Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin. Brimer lost his reelection bid. Townsend replaces Celinda Provost, who left Watson a few months back for the private sector.

Shannon Dick Ghangurde is the new director of the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services. She's been Sen. Jane Nelson's general counsel for four years and will replace Amy Herzog, who is retiring.

Amber Moon signed on as communications director for the Chris Bell campaign, with Adrienne Fischer as her deputy. Fischer was already with the campaign in another role; Moon was most recently the spokeswoman for the Harris County Coordinated Campaign.

President George W. Bush is appointing R. Bruce LaBoon to the board of the Mickey Leland National Urban Air Toxics Research Center. LaBoon's an attorney with Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell and a former chairman of the Greater Houston Partnership.

Carmen Fenton is leaving her position as communications director for U.S. Rep. John Carter, R-Georgetown, to become the director of public affairs for the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association in Austin. She'll be wrangling press and have other duties as well.

Abel Torres moves to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to work on federal health care issues; he's been at the federal Administration on Aging.

Dropped, for lack of evidence: April DWI charges against Rep. Mike Krusee, R-Round Rock. He said he was stopped after having one glass of wine, refused a blood and breath test, and had to spend that first night in jail.