Gov. Rick Perry has set Dec. 16 for the date of the special run-off election between Chris Bell and Joan Huffman. The election is to fill the open seat created when Republican state Sen. Kyle Janek of Houston resigned.

Bell, a former Democratic Congressman and rather forgettable candidate for governor, enters the run-off with a gaping financial advantage over Huffman, a former felony court judge. He has more money in the bank and outraised her by nearly a million dollars over the last few weeks of the campaign. He also collected more votes than Huffman in the Nov. 4 election, who had to fend off fend off a loopy Republican rival, who kept on trashing her as a bad judge, before meeting her under a streetlight near her home and apologizing.

So maybe Huffman can begin to close the gap now that she's not running against Robert De Niro from Cape Fear. In any case, expect high dollar donors from both parties to start writing checks. An with Democrats coming off an impressive election cycle, they'd love to head into Christmas with an extra Bell ringing. (Thank you. I'll be here all week.)

The Republicans meanwhile, who can't seem to stomach the thought of one of their own, Tom Craddick, staying on as House speaker, don't exactly need another blow to their fragile psyches.