Mr. Dewhurst, 66, a wealthy rancher and businessman, has held the powerful elected post of lieutenant governor for nine years and was endorsed by Mr. Perry and most other top party leaders as well as business and farm groups.
He left Congress in 2007 after eight years as House Speaker, the longest time a Republican has held the powerful political post.
But Russia, Mr. Assad's most powerful ally, has held out the possibility of his staying in power during a transition, so the Russian government's apparent shift of emphasis carried more weight.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — For most of Pakistan's history, the powerful military has held sway over elected officials or simply dumped them from power.
The leader of the opposition, Raila Odinga, who says the poll was rigged against him, will be prime minister; other ministries have been shared out, though Mr Kibaki has held on to the most powerful ones.
All the while, the administration has held the tentative support of powerful associations for doctors, nurses, seniors, hospitals, drug makers and, as Mr. Obama recently put it, "even the insurance companies," which did the most to defeat the Clintons.
The 80-year-old Rafsanjani, head of the country's powerful expediency council, has held Iran's presidency twice and has led the assembly of experts for some years.
This powerful myth took hold in Israeli culture and has held fast for almost a century.
CHINA has long held powerful sway over Canada's development.
Commonly known as Professor Saitoti, he had held a number of powerful posts in the Kenyan government — finance minister, education minister, acting foreign minister, even vice president.
