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Rick Perry
47th Governor of Texas
Incumbent
Assumed office December 21, 2000
Lieutenant	Bill Ratliff David Dewhurst
Preceded by	George W. Bush
39th Lieutenant Governor of Texas
In office January 19, 1999 – December 21, 2000
Governor	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Bob Bullock
Succeeded by	Bill Ratliff
9th Commissioner of Agriculture of Texas
In office January 15, 1991 – January 19, 1999
Governor	Ann Richards George W. Bush
Preceded by	Jim Hightower
Succeeded by	Susan Combs
Member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 64th district
In office January 8, 1985 – January 8, 1991
Preceded by	Joe Hanna
Succeeded by	John Cook
Personal details
Born	James Richard Perry (1950-03-04) March 4, 1950 (age 74) Paint Creek, Texas, U.S.
Political party	Democratic (Before 1989) Republican (1989–present)
Spouse	Anita Thigpen (1982–present)
Children	1 son 1 daughter
Residence	Governor's Mansion
Alma mater	Texas A&M University
Signature
Website	Official website
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Air Force
Years of service	1972–1977
Rank	Captain
Unit	772nd Tactical Airlift Squadron

This article is part of a series about Rick Perry
Political positions Governor of Texas Tenure Trans-Texas Corridor 2003 redistricting TETF TTRC Indictment and exoneration Presidential campaigns 2012 ("Oops" moment) 2016 Secretary of Energy Tenure Trump–Ukraine scandal
v t e

James Richard "Rick" Perry (born March 4, 1950) is an American politician who is the 47th and current governor of Texas. A Republican, he was elected lieutenant governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor George W. Bush resigned to become president of the United States. Perry is the longest serving governor in Texas state history. As a result, he is the only governor in modern Texas history to have appointed at least one person to every eligible state office, board, or commission position (as well as to several elected offices to which the governor can appoint someone to fill an unexpired term, such as six of the nine current members of the Texas Supreme Court).

Perry was elected to full gubernatorial terms in 2002, 2006 and 2010 and is the fourth Texas governor (after Allan Shivers, Price Daniel, and John Connally) to serve three terms. With a tenure in office to date of 24 years, 4 days, Perry is the second longest serving current U.S. governor – after Terry Branstad of Iowa. Perry served as chairman of the Republican Governors Association in 2008 (succeeding Sonny Perdue of Georgia) and again in 2011.

Perry won the Texas 2010 Republican gubernatorial primary election, defeating U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and former Wharton County Republican Party Chairwoman and businesswoman Debra Medina. In the 2010 Texas gubernatorial election, Perry won a third term by defeating former Houston mayor Bill White and Kathie Glass.

On August 13, 2011, Perry announced in South Carolina that he was running for the Republican nomination for President of the United States in the 2012 presidential election. Perry suspended his campaign in January 2012 and eventually endorsed Republican nominee Mitt Romney.

On July 8, 2013, Perry announced that he would not seek re-election to his fourth term in the 2014 election, planning to retire instead. Unnamed sources said to be close to Perry told the National Review that Perry may focus on another White House bid for 2016.

On August 15, 2014, Perry was indicted on felony charges for abuse of power. He was accused of coercing a District Attorney who had been convicted of drunk driving to resign by threatening to veto funding for state public corruption prosecutors.

Early life, education, and military service

A fifth-generation Texan, Perry was born on March 4, 1950 in Paint Creek, about 60 miles (97 km) north of Abilene in West Texas, to ranchers Joseph Ray Perry and the former Amelia June Holt. Perry's ancestry is almost entirely English, dating as far back as the original thirteen colonies. His family has been in Texas since before the Texan Revolution.

His father, a Democrat, was a long-time Haskell County commissioner and school board member. Perry has said that his interest in politics probably began in November 1961, when his father took him to the funeral of U.S. Representative Sam Rayburn (D-TX), who during his long public career served as speaker of the Texas House for a short time at the age of 29 and then later for 17 years as the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Perry was in the Boy Scouts (BSA) and earned the rank of Eagle Scout; his son, Griffin, later became an Eagle Scout as well. The BSA has honored Perry with the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award.

Perry graduated from Paint Creek High School in 1968. He then attended Texas A&M University, where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets, a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity, was elected senior class social secretary, and was also elected as one of A&M's five yell leaders. Perry graduated in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science in animal science.

Perry said that the Corps of Cadets gave him the discipline to complete his animal sciences degree and earn a commission in the Air Force. In a 1989 interview he said that "I was probably a bit of a free spirit, not particularly structured real well for life outside of a military regime, I would have not lasted at Texas Tech or the University of Texas. I would have hit the fraternity scene and lasted about one semester." Ultimately, Perry was elected a yell leader — a male cheerleader who has traditional responsibilities at major athletic events — and social secretary for his class.

In the early 1970s, Perry interned during several summers with the Southwestern Company, as a door-to-door book salesman. "I count my time working for Dortch Oldham as one of the most important formative experiences of my life," Perry said in 2010. "There is nothing that tests your commitment to a goal like getting a few doors closed in your face." He said that "Mr. Oldham taught legions of young people to communicate quickly, clearly and with passion, a lesson that has served me well in my life since then."

Upon graduation in 1972, Perry was commissioned in the United States Air Force and completed pilot training in February 1974. He was then assigned as a C-130 pilot to the 772nd Tactical Airlift Squadron at Dyess Air Force Base. Perry's duties included two-month overseas rotations at RAF Mildenhall in England and Rhein-Main Air Base in Germany. His missions included a 1974 U.S. State Department drought relief effort in Mali, Mauritania and Chad, and two years later, earthquake relief in Guatemala. He left the U.S. Air Force in 1977 with the rank of captain, returned to Texas, and went into business farming cotton with his father.

Early political career

Texas Legislature

In 1984, Perry was elected to the Texas House of Representatives as a Democrat from district 64, which included his home county of Haskell. He served on the House Appropriations and Calendars committees during his three two-year terms in office. He befriended fellow freshman state representative Lena Guerrero of Austin, a staunch liberal Democrat who endorsed Perry's reelection bid in 2006 on personal, rather than philosophical, grounds.

Perry was part of the "Pit Bulls", a group of Appropriations members who sat on the lower dais in the committee room (or "pit") who pushed for austere state budgets during the 1980s. At one point, The Dallas Morning News named him one of the ten most effective members of the legislature.

In 1987, Perry voted for a $5.7 billion tax increase proposed by Republican governor Bill Clements. Perry supported Al Gore in the 1988 Democratic presidential primaries and worked in an unspecified capacity for Gore's campaign in Texas. On September 29, 1989, Perry announced that he was switching parties, becoming a Republican.

Agriculture Commissioner

In 1990, as a newly minted Republican, Perry challenged Jim Hightower, the incumbent Democratic Agriculture Commissioner. Hightower had worked on behalf of Jesse Jackson for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988, while Perry had supported U.S. Senator Al Gore of Tennessee.

During 1990, Hightower's office was embroiled in an FBI investigation into corruption and bribery. Three aides were convicted in 1993 of using public funds for political fundraising, although Hightower himself was not found to be involved in the wrongdoings. Perry narrowly defeated Hightower in November 1990.

As Agriculture Commissioner, Perry was responsible for promoting the sale of Texas farm produce to other states and foreign nations, and for supervising the calibration of weights and measures, such as gasoline pumps and grocery store scales.

In April 1993, Perry, while serving as Texas agriculture commissioner, expressed support for the effort to reform the nation's health care, describing it as "most commendable". The health care plan, first revealed in September, was ultimately unsuccessful due to Republican congressional opposition. In 2005, after being questioned on the issue by a potential opponent in the Republican governor primary, Perry said that he expressed his support only in order to get Clinton to pay more attention to rural health care.

In 1994, Perry was reelected Agriculture Commissioner by a large margin, getting 2,546,287 votes (62 percent) to Democrat Marvin Gregory's 1,479,692 (36 percent). Libertarian Clyde L. Garland received the remaining 85,836 votes (2 percent). Gregory, a chicken farmer from Sulphur Springs, Texas, was on the Texas Agricultural Finance Authority with Perry in the early nineties, as a Republican. He became a Democrat before running against Perry in 1994.

Lieutenant Governor

In 1998, Perry chose not to seek a third term as Agriculture Commissioner, running instead for Lieutenant Governor to succeed the retiring Democrat Bob Bullock. During this election, Rick Perry had a notable falling out with his previous top political strategist Karl Rove, which began the much-reported rivalry between the Bush and Perry camps. Perry polled 1,858,837 votes (50.04 percent) to the 1,790,106 (48.19 percent) cast for Democrat John Sharp of Victoria, who had relinquished the Comptroller's position after two terms to seek the lieutenant governorship. Libertarian Anthony Garcia polled another 65,150 votes (1.75 percent). Perry thus became the state's first Republican lieutenant governor since Reconstruction, taking office on January 19, 1999.

Governor of Texas

Perry assumed the office of governor on December 21, 2000, following the resignation of George W. Bush – who was preparing to become President of the United States. He won the office in his own right in the 2002 gubernatorial election, where he received 57.80% of votes to Laredo oilman and businessman Tony Sanchez's 39.96%. He was re-elected in the 2006 gubernatorial election against three major opponents, polling 39% of votes against runner-up former U.S. Congressman Chris Bell of Houston with 29.8%. In the 2010 gubernatorial election, Perry became the first Texas governor to be elected to three four-year terms, polling 54.97% of votes to former Houston Mayor Bill White's 42.48%.

In his three gubernatorial campaigns, Perry received hard-money campaign contributions of $102 million, half of which came from 204 donors.

In the 2001 legislative session, Perry set a record for his use of the veto, rejecting 82 acts, more than any other governor in any single legislative session in the history of the state since Reconstruction.

Fiscal policies

In his presidential campaign, Perry has highlighted the economic success Texas achieved under his governorship, although the true success of his policies has been questioned. A proclaimed proponent of fiscal conservatism, Perry has often campaigned on job growth and tax issues, such as his opposition to creating a state income tax. Perry refused in 2002 to promise not to raise taxes as governor, and in the following years did propose or approve various tax and debt increases. In 2009, Perry signed Grover Norquist's pledge to "oppose and veto any and all efforts to increase taxes".

Texas began borrowing money in 2003 to pay for roads and will owe $17.3 billion by the end of 2012, increasing total state debt, from $13.4 billion in 2001 to $37.8 billion in 2011. The state's public finance authority sold $2 billion in bonds for unemployment benefits, and it's authorized to sell $1.5 billion more if necessary. Texas federal borrowing topped $1.6 billion in October 2010, before the bond sales. Texans voted November 8, 2011 for a Water Works Bill with an additional $6 billion of debt and against new tax breaks for landowners. A Republican on the Natural Resources Committee laments “we couldn’t get the votes” which would break Perry's pledge not to raise taxes.

In 2003, Perry signed legislation that created the Texas Enterprise Fund, which has since given $435 million in grants to businesses. The New York Times reported that many of the companies receiving grants, or their chief executives, have made contributions to Perry's campaigns or to the Republican Governors Association. Perry has been criticized for supporting corporate tax breaks and other incentives, while the state government was experiencing budget deficits.

Health

As governor, Perry has been an outspoken opponent of federal health-care reform proposals and of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, describing the latter as "socialism on American soil". Perry's focus in Texas has been on tort reform, signing a bill in 2003 which restricted non-economic damages in medical malpractice judgments. Perry touted this approach in his Presidential campaign, although independent analysts have concluded that it has failed to increase the supply of physicians or limit health-care costs in Texas.

During Perry's governorship, Texas rose from second to first among states with the highest proportion of uninsured residents at 26%, and had the lowest level of access to prenatal care in the U.S. Perry and the state legislature have cut Medicaid spending. The Los Angeles Times wrote that under Perry, "working Texans increasingly have been priced out of private healthcare while the state's safety net has withered."

Perry's office has said that Texas represents a model private-sector approach to health-care. His spokeswoman stated that "Texas does provide an adequate safety net to those truly in need... and many individuals simply choose not to purchase healthcare coverage."

Perry is pro-life and has signed bills with rules or restrictions for abortion procedures and funding for them. In December 2011, Perry said he had undergone a "transformation" and now opposed all abortions, including in cases of rape and incest. The next day he clarified that he would allow an exception for abortions that would save a mother's life.

In February 2007, Perry issued an executive order mandating that Texas girls receive the HPV vaccine, which protects against some strains of the human papilloma virus, a contributing factor to some forms of cervical cancer. Following the move, news outlets reported various apparent financial connections between Perry and the vaccine's manufacturer, Merck. Merck's political action committee has contributed $28,500 since 2001 to Perry's campaigns. The order was criticized by some parents and social conservatives, and a lawsuit was filed later that month. In May 2007, the Texas Legislature passed a bill undoing the order; Perry did not veto the bill, saying the veto would have been overruled, but blamed lawmakers who supported the bill for the deaths of future cancer victims.

In 2011, Governor Perry both had adult stem cell surgery, in Houston by Dr. Jones, and started "laying the groundwork" for the commercialization of the adult stem cell industry in Texas.

Religion

Perry grew up in the United Methodist Church, and he and his family were members of Tarrytown United Methodist Church until 2010, when Perry and his family began attending the Austin-based non-denominational evangelical megachurch, Lake Hills Church.

In 2006, Perry stated that he believes in the inerrancy of the Bible and that those who do not accept Jesus as their savior will go to hell. A couple of days later, he clarified, "I don't know that there's any human being that has the ability to interpret what God and his final decision-making is going to be."

In his 2008 book On My Honor, Perry expressed his views on the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause of the U.S. Constitution. "Let's be clear: I don't believe government, which taxes people regardless of their faith, should espouse a specific faith. I also don't think we should allow a small minority of atheists to sanitize our civil dialogue on religious references."

In June 2011, Perry proclaimed August 6 as a Day of Prayer and Fasting, inviting other governors to join him in a prayer meeting hosted by the American Family Association in Houston. The event was criticized as going beyond prayer and fasting to include launching Perry's presidential campaign.

Perry has called himself "a firm believer in intelligent design as a matter of faith and intellect", and has expressed support for its teaching alongside evolution in Texas schools, but has also said that "educators and local school officials, not the governor, should determine science curriculum."

Education

Perry has repeatedly attacked the Robin Hood plan to provide court-mandated equitable school financing for all school districts in the state. In 2005, following rejection of Perry's proposal to replace the Robin Hood plan, Perry vetoed all funding for public schools for the 2007–2008 biennium, saying he would not "approve an education budget that shortchanges teacher salary increases, textbooks, education technology, and education reforms. And I cannot let $2 billion sit in some bank account when it can go directly to the classroom." Following a second rejection of Perry's bill, Perry asked John Sharp to head a task force charged with preparing a bipartisan education plan, which was subsequently adopted.

In 2001, Perry expressed his pride in the enactment of the statute extending in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants who meet Texas' residency requirements. It also required the undocumented students to pledge to apply for permanent residency or citizenship if this became a possibility for them.

Homosexuality

In 2002, Perry described the Texas same-sex anti-sodomy law as "appropriate". The United States Supreme Court's civil rights decision in Lawrence v. Texas (2003) struck down the statute Perry referred to the following year for violating the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Perry supported the 2005 ballot proposition which amended the Texas constitution by defining marriage as "only a union between a man and a woman" and prohibiting the state from creating or recognizing "any legal status identical or similar to marriage". In 2011, after New York legalized same-sex marriage, Perry stated that it was their right to do so under the principle of states' rights delineated in the Tenth Amendment. A spokesman later reiterated Perry's support for a federal constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, saying that position was not inconsistent since an amendment would require approval by three-fourths of the states.

In his first book, On My Honor, published in 2008, Perry drew a parallel between homosexuality and alcoholism, writing that he is "no expert on the 'nature versus nurture' debate", but that gays should simply choose abstinence. During the 2012 presidential campaign, he criticized the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell". He said that using foreign aid as a policy tool against foreign countries which do not give full rights to homosexuals was “not in America’s interests”.

Perry, an Eagle Scout, has called on the Boy Scouts to continue their ban on homosexuality and blamed America for not living up to the ideals of the scouts.

Crime

Perry's campaigns for lieutenant governor and governor focused on a tough stance on crime. He has supported block grants for crime programs.

Jeff L. Blackburn, chief counsel of the Innocence Project of Texas, said of Perry that "He has done more good than any other governor we've ever had ... unless, of course, it involves the death penalty. On the death penalty, Rick Perry has a profound mental block."

In 2007, Perry signed a law ending automatic arrest for cannabis possession.

Death penalty

Perry supports the death penalty. In June 2002, he vetoed a ban on the execution of mentally retarded inmates. As of April 27, 2014, there have been 275 executions since Perry first took office in 2000.

Cases in which Perry has been criticized for his lack of intervention include those of Cameron Todd Willingham, Frances Newton, and Mexican nationals José Medellín and Humberto Leal Garcia.

Perry commuted the death sentence of Kenneth Foster, who was convicted of murder despite evidence that he was only present at the scene of the crime. Foster was convicted under a Texas law that makes co-conspirators liable in certain cases of homicide. In this case, it tied Foster to the triggerman. Perry raised doubts about the law and urged the legislature to re-examine the issue. “I believe the right and just decision is to commute Foster’s sentence from the death penalty to life imprisonment,” Perry said in a statement at the time.

Infrastructure

In 2001, Perry proposed the Trans-Texas Corridor, a $145+ billion-dollar project that would build multi-lane highways, rail lines and data lines from Oklahoma to Mexico, and from east to west in southern Texas. Instead of paying for the project with taxes, Perry proposed that it be partially financed, partially built and wholly operated by private contractors, who would subsequently receive all toll proceeds. All of Perry's gubernatorial opponents opposed the corridor project, as did the 2006 state party platforms of both the Democratic and Republican parties. After much contentious debate between supporters and opponents, an official decision of "no action" was issued by the Federal Highway Administration on July 20, 2010, formally ending the project.

Gun ownership

Perry has an A+ rating from the National Rifle Association. He possesses a Concealed Handgun License (CHL) and has signed a number of bills that increased CHL access.

2012 presidential campaign

Until 2011, Perry persistently denied aspirations to higher office; he was originally included on the 2012 presidential straw poll ballot at the Values Voter Summit in September 2009, but his name was removed at his request. In April 2008 while appearing as a guest on CNBC's Kudlow & Company, he specifically stated that he would not agree to serve as Vice President in a McCain administration, stating that he already had "the best job in the world" as governor of Texas. Further, during a Republican gubernatorial debate in January 2010, when asked if he would commit to serving out his term if re-elected, he replied that "the place hasn't been made yet" where he would rather serve than the governor of Texas. In December 2010, when asked if he was a "definite maybe" to run for president in 2012, he replied, "a definite no, brother".

On May 27, 2011, he said he was "going to think about" running for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination after the close of the Texas legislative session. Perry said in a response to a question from a reporter, "but I think about a lot of things", adding a grin.

On August 11, a Perry spokesman said that he would be running for president in 2012, with plans to announce his formal entry into the race the next day. Perry himself confirmed it on a visit to KVUE, the ABC affiliate in Austin. As the Associated Press bulletin announcing his entry into the race came across the wire, Perry signed and dated a printed copy of the bulletin.

On August 13, Perry officially announced that he would be running for president.

After announcing his candidacy, Perry immediately became a serious contender in the race, with a poll released by Rasmussen Reports on August 16, 2011, showing him leading in the Republican field at 29 percent, with the eventual Republican nominee Mitt Romney at a distant second at 18 percent and the then-front runner Michele Bachmann at 13 percent. Perry hoped that Texas' own record of job growth in contrast to the rest of the country could persuade voters that he could reverse the economic downturn. However, by September Perry's campaign began to suffer following a number of poor debate performances. Perry suffered further following a November 2011 debate in which he was unable to name one of the three government agencies that he would eliminate as president; he later identified the third agency as the Department of Energy.

In October 2011, the Washington Post reported that Perry's family leases a hunting camp once called "Niggerhead". According to some local residents interviewed by the Post, the Perrys used the camp for years before painting over a large rock with that name on it, which stands at an entrance to the area, and during this time Perry hosted friends and supporters at the camp. Perry's campaign disputed the claims, stating that the Perrys painted over the rock almost immediately after acquiring a lease on the property in 1983. The Washington Post news reporter filing the October 1, 2011, news report interviewed seven people "...who spoke in detail of their memories of seeing the rock with the name at various points during the years that Perry was associated with the property through his father, partners or his signature on a lease".

On December 6, Perry released a presidential campaign video on YouTube called "Strong" discussing his religious beliefs, as well as criticism of Obama's governance. The video states "there's something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military, but our kids can't openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school." The video was widely criticized in the on-line community and received over 750,000 dislikes on YouTube.

Perry came in fifth place in the Iowa caucuses and skipped the New Hampshire primary. With polls showing Perry trailing in the upcoming South Carolina primary, Perry announced on January 19, 2012, that he would be dropping out of the 2012 presidential race. Perry initially endorsed Newt Gingrich, but then endorsed Mitt Romney in April after Gingrich announced that he was suspending his campaign.

In September 2012, an article stated that Perry "had major health issues too – a serious but previously undiagnosed sleep disorder that was discovered just as the front-runner label was slipping from his hands", which contributed to his losing the candidacy. According to the article, Perry also suffered from restless legs syndrome.

Political future

By the end of his third full term, he will have served up to 14 consecutive years in office once his third full term expires. The University of Texas at Austin–Texas Tribune Poll released on June 17, 2013, showed Perry leading potential primary challenger Attorney General Greg Abbott by double digits, 45–19%. In February, the same poll had Perry leading by a 3-to-1 margin (49–17%) of 32 points over Abbott.

Perry decided not to run for re-election to a fourth full term, announcing on July 8, 2013 that he would retire instead in front of family and supporters at the Holt Cat Headquarters in San Antonio, Texas. Perry will retire with the 10th longest gubernatorial tenure in United States history at the end of his term on January 20, 2015 at 5,144 days. Unnamed sources said to be close to Perry told the National Review that Perry may focus on another White House bid for 2016.

Indictment for abuse of official capacity

On August 15, 2014, Perry was indicted for abuse of official capacity. He vetoed the funding for state public corruption prosecutors when the head of that unit Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg refused to resign after she had been convicted of drunk driving and cursing out the officers that arrested her. The felony indictment includes two charges: abuse of official capacity and coercion of a public servant. Republican supporters of the Governor have called the charges political and partisan. Many Democratic and liberal critics of Perry have stated that they believe the charges are either weak or unwarranted.

Political views

See: Political positions of Rick Perry

Books

Rick Perry has written two books:

• On My Honor: Why the American Values of the Boy Scouts are Worth Fighting For was published in February 2008. It celebrates the positive impact of the organization on the youth of America and criticizes the ACLU for its legal actions against the Boy Scouts of America.
• Fed Up! Our Fight to Save America from Washington, was written with senior advisor Chip Roy and published in November 2010. It discusses his support for limited central government.

Speeches

Perry has given a number of speeches, including one at the Heritage Foundation on the proper role of the federal government and the military in disaster management. This speech was given a few months' after Hurricane Katrina.

Personal life

In 1982, Perry married Anita Thigpen, his childhood sweetheart whom he had known since elementary school. They have two grown children, Griffin and Sydney. Anita Perry attended West Texas State University and earned a degree in nursing. She has spearheaded a number of health-related initiatives such as the Anita Thigpen Perry Endowment at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, which focuses on nutrition, cardiovascular disease, health education, and early childhood development. Anita has also helped develop and host the Texas Conference for Women.

Perry has played himself in minor roles for several feature films, including Man of the House, Deep in the Heart, and Hating Breitbart.

In 2001, the American Cowboy Culture Association, based in Lubbock, handed Perry its "The Top Cowboy of Texas" award. In accepting the honor, Perry cited the importance of his father, Ray Perry, and a former neighbor in Haskell County, the late Watt R. Matthews (born 1899), who Perry said taught him "not only about Texas and history ... but also about the importance of the values that we learned growing up in a rural environment".

Perry is also a member of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and won their Gold Good Citizenship Medal.

Electoral history

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71. ^ Carney, Timothy (June 21, 2011) "Rick Perry's mixed record on regulatory robbery", The Washington Examiner
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89. Elliott, Janet (November 8, 2005). "Same-sex marriage ban wins OK". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
90. Jacobs, Jennifer (July 23, 2011). "Perry defends gay marriage as states' choice; Santorum takes a swipe". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
91. Barabak, Mark Z. (July 28, 2011). "Rick Perry contorts over same-sex marriage". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
92. Benjamin, Mark (August 24, 2011). "Perry Compared Homosexuality to Alcoholism in 2008 Book". Time. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
93. Stein, Sam (December 8, 2011). "Rick Perry's Anti-Gay Iowa Ad Divides His Top Staff". The Huffington Post. Retrieved February 15, 2012.
94. "Rick Perry Says Human Rights for Gays 'Not in America's Interests'". Abcnews.go.com. 2011-12-06. Retrieved 2014-02-22.
95. "Perry Fights Letting Gays in Boy Scouts."
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100. "Death Row Information: Executed Offenders". Texas Dept of Criminal Justice. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
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External links

• Governor Rick Perry official state site
• Texans for Rick Perry official campaign site
• Template:Dmoz

Media coverage

• The Perry Trap at The Austin Chronicle
• Collected news and commentary at The Economist
• Collected news and commentary at Fox News
• Collected news and commentary at the Houston Chronicle
• Collected news and commentary at the Texas Monthly
• Collected news and commentary at The Texas Observer
• Collected news and commentary at The Texas Tribune
• The Perry Watch at The Dallas Morning News
• Rick Perry 2012 at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram

v t e Governors and lieutenant governors of Texas
Governors	J. P. Henderson Wood Bell J. W. Henderson Pease Runnels Houston Clark Lubbock Murrah Hamilton Throckmorton Pease Davis Coke Hubbard Roberts Ireland Ross Hogg Culberson Sayers Lanham Campbell Colquitt J. Ferguson Hobby Neff M. Ferguson Moody Sterling M. Ferguson Allred O'Daniel Stevenson Jester Shivers Daniel Connally Smith Briscoe Clements White Clements Richards Bush Perry Abbott
Lieutenant governors	Horton Greer Henderson Dickson Runnels Lubbock Clark Crockett Stockdale Jones J. W. Flanagan (acting) Campbell (ex officio) W. Flanagan (ex officio) Fountain (ex officio) Pickett (ex officio) Hubbard Sayers Storey Martin Gibbs Wheeler Pendleton Crane Jester Browning Neal A. B. Davidson Mayes Hobby Sr. Johnson L. Davidson T. W. Davidson Miller Witt Woodul Stevenson J. L. Smith Shivers Ramsey P. Smith Barnes Hobby Jr. Bullock Perry Ratliff Dewhurst Patrick

v t e Rick Perry
Offices	Texas House of Representatives, District 64 Texas Agricultural Commissioner Lieutenant Governor of Texas Governor of Texas tenure
Elections	Governor of Texas: 2002 2006 2010 U.S. President: 2012 campaign 2016 campaign
Books	On My Honor: Why the American Values of the Boy Scouts are Worth Fighting For Fed Up! Our Fight to Save America from Washington
Issues	Trans-Texas Corridor 2003 Texas redistricting Texas Emerging Technology Fund Texas Tax Reform Commission Van Orden v. Perry League of United Latin American Citizens v. Perry Texas Virtual Border Watch Indictment
Related	Anita Perry (spouse) Aggie Yell Leaders Al Gore 1988 presidential campaign Man of the House Republican Governors Association Rosemary Lehmberg Days of Prayer for Rain in the State of Texas

Template:Persondata

• Current events
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