Former Sugar Land Mayor Dean Hrbacek (R), a certified public accountant by trade, is considering a run for the 22nd district seat and announced Saturday that he has launched an exploratory committee to begin raising money.

Incumbent Rep. Nick Lampson (D) is girding for a tough race next year in the conservative, suburban Houston district. He has been aggressively raising money and recently touted his acceptance into the Blue Dogs — a coalition of moderate and conservative House Democrats.

Republicans are heavily targeting Lampson, but thus far their only announced candidate is former Rep. Shelley Sekula-Gibbs (R), who served for three weeks last year after winning a November special election to fill the remainder of former Rep. Tom DeLay’s (R) term.

The GOP is not that high on Sekula-Gibbs and has been searching for a candidate it considers more formidable. Hrbacek has a long history of community service in the 22nd district, including nearly a decade on the Sugar Land City Council.

Hrbacek served six of those years — from 1996 to 2002 — as mayor.
— David M. Drucker