Waco Republican David Sibley said Tuesday he intends to run in a special election for the state Senate seat held by Kip Averitt, who is planning to submit his resignation today.

Assuming Gov. Rick Perry receives the resignation as anticipated, he will have eight days to call a special election to fill the remainder of Averitt’s term, according to a spokesman for the secretary of state’s office.

Sibley, a former Waco mayor and Averitt’s predecessor in the state Senate, said he has taken a number of steps to prepare for the contest.

He officially deregistered as a lobbyist Friday, and he’s planning a series of candidacy announcements in each of the Senate district’s 10 counties.

He also prepared a statement that will be distributed to media outlets today.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to return to public service for the citizens of Senate District 22, and I look forward to visiting with them in the coming weeks about their concerns and about my vision for results-oriented and conservative government in Austin,” the statement reads.

Averitt surprised political observers in January when he shuttered his primary campaign for health reasons.

At the date of Averitt’s announcement, it was too late to have his name removed from the ballot.

Despite his decision to stay off the stump, Averitt ended up defeating Burleson Republican Darren Yancy with 60 percent of the vote.

That outcome was, at least in part, a result of efforts by Sibley and other prominent McLennan County Republicans, who urged a vote for Averitt to deny Yancy the seat.

Yancy — a relative unknown in local political circles who had the support of several prominent Tea Party leaders — would not have faced a Democrat in the general election since the party failed to field a candidate.

The winner of the expected special election isn’t guaranteed a shot at the general election to serve during the 2011 legislative session.

That will be decided by the county party chairs in the district. The chairs from the Democratic and Republican parties each will meet to select replacement candidates on the general election ballot.

But Sibley made it clear in his statement that he’s running to position himself as his party’s choice in November.

“I believe I have a proven conservative track record at getting results, the understanding of the legislative process and the familiarity with issues of importance to Senate District 22 that will benefit all 10 counties in the district during this tough upcoming session,” he said.

In his argument for a seasoned, steady hand, Sibley pointed to the gravity of the issues confronting state lawmakers in 2011. Redistricting will be on the table, as well as “a possible $15 billion state budget deficit.”

Yancy also has indicated he will run in a special election when Averitt resigns.

His background

The 6-foot-6 Sibley played for the Baylor University basketball team as an undergraduate.

He was the team’s captain during the 1969-70 season.

He pursued a career as an oral surgeon after earning a graduate degree at Baylor but left the field after suffering a ruptured disc.

Sibley returned to Baylor to earn a law degree. He then got a job as a criminal prosecutor with the McLennan County district attorney’s office.

In 1984, Sibley made his first political splash by winning a spot on the Waco City Council. He served two terms, and his colleagues on council elected him mayor, before that position was determined through citywide elections.

In 1991, after then-state Sen. Chet Edwards left his seat to serve in the U.S. House, Sibley won a special election for the seat. Averitt was his first chief of staff.

According to Texas Monthly magazine’s Paul Burka, Sibley was one of the three most influential members of the Senate by the end of his 11-year stint and part of a powerful trio in the chamber referred to as the “college of cardinals.”

He was a vote away from serving as the state’s lieutenant governor.

When then-Gov. George W. Bush was elected president, then-Lt. Gov. Rick Perry replaced him. In a secret ballot conducted by the Senate to fill the lieutenant governor post, Bill Ratliff, R-Mount Pleasant, edged Sibley, 16-15.

Sibley’s statement played up his work with Bush, as well as his efforts while a senator to protect patients’ rights through insurance reform, create jobs and bring competition to the electric utility industry through deregulation.

mshapiro@wacotrib.com

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