The Washington Post's Michael D. Shear reports on this major development out of Virginia.

Sen. H. Russell Potts Jr., a Republican from Winchester, plans to announce Friday morning that he is mounting an independent bid for governor but will not formally leave the party he says is gripped by conservative social issues and anti-tax rhetoric.

Potts, an irascible politician who has become a voice of the GOP moderates as chairman of the Senate's Education and Health Committee, has scheduled a news conference at the State Capitol to announce his decision.

He declined to comment publicly Thursday, but aides and colleagues said Potts has informed them that he is certain to run as an "independent Republican" in the 2005 campaign.

[...]

His entry will transform the Virginia governor's campaign into a three-way race between Potts and the two likely major-party candidates, former attorney general Jerry W. Kilgore (R) and Lt. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D).

Some political observers said Potts could hand the race to Kaine if enough voters see the Winchester senator as an alternative to Kilgore's conservative policies.

What's more, if enough moderate Republicans choose to forsake their party's gubernatorial candidate, they very well might consider not voting for the GOP candidate for US Senate, Sen. George Allen, as he possibly matches up against popular Governor Mark Warner.

The Houston Chronicle's Kristen Mack has some news out of Texas.

His friends have called him crazy.

But Chris Bell doesn't care. He's formed an exploratory committee for the 2006 governor's race anyway.

The Houston Democrat, defeated last year after a single term in the U.S. House, admits he has a lot of work ahead of him. Not only will he have to build his name recognition statewide, but he's also considering a run when no Democrat holds a statewide office.

Though Republicans call it wishful thinking, Democrats hope the state's growing Hispanic population will fuel a comeback by the party as soon as 2008 or perhaps by 2012.

Bell, of course, was defeated because of Tom DeLay's corrupt mid-census redistricting, perhaps allowing the conservative Democrat to run as an outsider in the race. Even more important is the bloody primary battle that should ensue in the GOP as Governor Rick Perry squares up with Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. If either one emerges from the primary too battered, there is a chance Bell will be able to pick up the statehouse.