Cris Bell Makes It Official And Files For Governor

Chris Bell made it official Friday that he's a candidate for Texas Governor. Read the post from his blog.

Bell, filed his candidacy with the Texas Democratic Party, said he feels good about his standing in recent polls, though he acknowledged he has "a long way to go." Bell, 46, served on the Houston City Council for five years and represented part of the city in the U.S. House for one term.

Since launching his campaign, Bell said, he has visited more than 40 cities and towns across Texas. He said his message centers on education -- school finance, the dropout problem and the overall quality of public schools.

Bell is the most prominent candidate in the Democratic race for governor. Fort Worth middle school administrator Felix Alvarado also plans to run. Former Texas Supreme Court justice Bob Gammage said he is leaning toward running but hasn't announced his candidacy.

The rest of the story by the AP.