Leppert declines to rule out U.S. Senate run

[ccharles000]

Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert did not rule out a run fur the U.S Senate seat being vacated by Kay Bailey Hutchison, when asked about it at a commercial real estate function Thursday.

"I'm just trying to get through the week," Leppert said, when asked whether he plans to seek the seat.

He again declined to rule out a bid when the Dallas Business Journal asked him about the possibility after the function, saying only that he "feels good about what the city has accomplished."

Leppert, speaking to commercial investment association CCIM, said he expects a wave of corporate relocations to Dallas, as companies consider ways to cut costs in the post-recessionary environment.

"During a recession, everyone is hunkering down, so usually relocation is the last thing you look for," he said. "We're going out and selling Dallas by saying part of the restructuring of companies is bringing costs down," and Dallas' low-tax, pro business environment can help companies achieve the savings they are looking for.

"When we see a recovery, I think Dallas will be very well positioned," he added.

Leppert counted a reduction in crime and implementation of green construction standards among his successes in his first two years in office. The mandatory green building requirements, he said, "position Dallas as a leader" on environmental issues and is important to fight the perception that the city is behind the curve in that area.

http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2009/08/31/daily52.html