A one-time Democratic challenger to then- House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R) is leading a movement to draft state Rep. Rick Noriega (D) into the 2008 Senate race against Sen. John Cornyn (R).

Richard Morrison (D), who lost to DeLay in 2004, has set up a “Draft Rick” Web site, where he encourages the educator and National Guardsman to run against Cornyn.

“The people-powered candidate for Texas is Rep. Rick Noriega. He has served his country, his community and his family with dedication and distinction,” Morrison writes on the Web site.

But there’s no indication that Noriega is ready to launch a statewide run against Cornyn, who appears very formidable at this stage of the election cycle.

— David M. Drucker