Rick Perry




American politician


































































































































Rick Perry
Rick Perry official portrait.jpg
14th United States Secretary of Energy
Incumbent

Assumed office
March 2, 2017
President Donald Trump
Deputy Dan Brouillette
Preceded by Ernest Moniz
47th Governor of Texas

In office
December 21, 2000 – January 20, 2015
Lieutenant
Bill Ratliff
David Dewhurst
Preceded by George W. Bush
Succeeded by Greg Abbott
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 Agriculture Commissioner 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 68)
Haskell, Texas, U.S.
Political party
Republican (1989–present)
Other political
affiliations

Democratic (Before 1989)
Spouse(s)

Anita Thigpen (m. 1982)
Children 2
Education
Texas A&M University (BS)
Net worth $2 million[1]
Signature
Military service
Allegiance
 United States
Service/branch
 United States Air Force
Years of service 1972–1977[2]
Rank
US-O3 insignia.svg Captain
Unit 772nd Tactical Airlift Squadron








James Richard "Rick" Perry (born March 4, 1950) is an American politician who is the 14th and current United States Secretary of Energy, serving in the Cabinet of Donald Trump. Prior to his cabinet position, Perry served as the 47th Governor of Texas from December 2000 to January 2015. A Republican, he was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when Governor George W. Bush resigned to become president. Perry was the longest-serving Governor in Texas history.


Perry was elected three times to full gubernatorial terms and is the fourth Texas Governor (after Allan Shivers, Price Daniel and John Connally) to serve three terms. With a tenure in office of 14 years, 30 days, Perry was, at the time he left office, the second longest-serving current governor (after Terry Branstad of Iowa). Perry ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for president in 2012 and 2016.


On December 14, 2016, President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate Perry as his Secretary of Energy. On March 2, 2017, he was confirmed by the United States Senate in a 62–37 vote.[3]




Contents






  • 1 Early life


    • 1.1 College


    • 1.2 First jobs




  • 2 Early political career


    • 2.1 Texas Legislature


    • 2.2 Agriculture Commissioner


    • 2.3 Lieutenant Governor




  • 3 Governor of Texas


    • 3.1 Fiscal policies


    • 3.2 Healthcare


    • 3.3 Religion


    • 3.4 Education


    • 3.5 LGBT rights


    • 3.6 Crime


    • 3.7 Death penalty


    • 3.8 Infrastructure


    • 3.9 Gun ownership


    • 3.10 Illegal immigration


    • 3.11 Veto controversy and exoneration


    • 3.12 Retirement as governor




  • 4 2012 presidential campaign


  • 5 2016 presidential campaign


  • 6 Secretary of Energy


  • 7 Political future


  • 8 Career outside politics


    • 8.1 Dancing with the Stars




  • 9 Books and speeches


  • 10 Personal life


  • 11 Electoral history


  • 12 See also


  • 13 References


  • 14 External links





Early life


A fifth-generation Texan, he was born on March 4, 1950, in Haskell, Texas, and raised in Paint Creek, Texas, the son of dryland cotton farmers Joseph Ray Perry and Amelia June Holt Perry. He has one older sister. 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 Texas Revolution.[4][5]


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.[6]


Perry was in the Boy Scouts (BSA) and earned the rank of Eagle Scout.[7][8] The BSA has honored Perry with the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award.[9] Perry graduated from Paint Creek High School in 1968.



College


Perry attended Texas A&M University where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets and the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity. He was elected senior class social secretary, a member and redpot in Aggie Bonfire, and one of A&M's five "yell leaders".[10][11] He graduated in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science degree in animal science.[12][13]


In 1989, 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."[12]



First jobs


In the early 1970s, Perry interned during several summers with Southwestern Advantage, as a door-to-door book salesman. "I count my time working for Dortch Oldham [then president of the Southwestern family of companies] 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."[14]


Upon graduation from college in 1972, Perry was commissioned as an officer in the United States Air Force and completed pilot training in February 1974. He was then assigned as a C-130 pilot with the 772nd Tactical Airlift Squadron at Dyess Air Force Base, located in Abilene, Texas. Perry's duties included two-month overseas rotations at RAF Mildenhall, located in Mildenhall, England and Rhein-Main Air Base, located at Frankfurt am Main, 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.[15] He left the United States Air Force in 1977 with the rank of Captain, returned to Texas, and went into business farming cotton with his father.[16]



Early political career




Perry with President George H. W. Bush in 1990



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, a staunch liberal Democrat who endorsed Perry's reelection bid in 2006.


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.[17] At one point, The Dallas Morning News named him one of the ten most effective members of the legislature.[18]


In 1987, Perry voted for a $5.7 billion tax increase proposed by Republican governor Bill Clements.[19] Perry supported Al Gore in the 1988 Democratic presidential primaries and worked for Gore's campaign in Texas.[20] On September 29, 1989, Perry announced that he was switching parties, becoming a Republican.[21]



Agriculture Commissioner


In 1990, as a newly minted Republican, Perry challenged Jim Hightower, the incumbent Democratic Agriculture Commissioner. Karl Rove was Perry's campaign manager.[22]


In the Republican primary on March 13, 1990, Perry polled 276,558 votes (47%), with Richard McIver garnering 176,976 votes (30%) and Gene L. Duke, who placed third, polling 132,497 votes (23%).[23] Since Perry fell shy of the necessary 50% to win outright, a runoff was held between Perry and McIver set on April 10, 1990. In the runoff, he emerged victorious, garnering 96,649 votes (69%) to McIver's 43,921 votes (31%).[24]


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.[25] Perry narrowly defeated Hightower in November 1990, garnering 1,864,463 votes (49%) to Hightower's 1,820,145 votes (48%).[26]


Rove raised $3 million to raise Perry's profile, "while tarnishing the name of Jim Hightower" resulting in Perry's name becoming a "household name in Texas—and Hightower's name synonymous with corruption".[27]


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.[28]


In April 1993, Perry, while serving as Texas agriculture commissioner, expressed support for the effort to reform the nation's healthcare, describing it as "most commendable".[29] The healthcare plan, first revealed in September, was ultimately unsuccessful due to Republican congressional opposition.[30][31][32][33][34] 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 healthcare.[35]


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).[36] Gregory, a chicken farmer from Sulphur Springs, Texas, was on the Texas Agricultural Finance Authority with Perry in the early nineties as a Republican, but became a Democrat before running against Perry in 1994.[37]



Lieutenant Governor


In 1998, Perry ran for the powerful job of Lieutenant Governor. During this election, 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.[38] Perry polled 1,858,837 votes (50.04 percent) to the 1,790,106 (48.19 percent) cast for Democrat John Sharp. Perry became the state's first Republican lieutenant governor since Reconstruction, taking office on January 19, 1999.



Governor of Texas





President George W. Bush and Texas Governor Rick Perry shake hands September 27, 2005, after a question-and-answer session at the Port Arthur airport. Port Arthur suffered extensive damage from Hurricane Rita.


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.[7] He won the office in his own right in the 2002 gubernatorial election, where he received 58% of votes to Laredo oilman and businessman Tony Sanchez's 40%.[36] 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 30%. In the 2010 gubernatorial election, Perry became the first Texas governor to be elected to three four-year terms, polling 55% of votes to former Houston Mayor Bill White's 42%.


According to Texans for Public Justice, in his three gubernatorial campaigns, Perry received hard-money campaign contributions of $102 million, half of which came from 204 donors.[39]


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.[40][41][42]


In 2003, Perry formed the non-profit organization, the OneStar Foundation, designed to connect non-profits with resources and expertise to accomplish their missions and to promote volunteerism. He tapped the state Republican chairman Susan Weddington, who stepped down from that position after six years, as the president of OneStar. She left in 2009, and he chose Elizabeth Seale as her successor.[43][44]



Fiscal policies


In his presidential campaign, Perry highlighted the economic success Texas achieved under his governorship. The efficacy of Perry's economic policies has been questioned by some sources.[45][46][47]


A proclaimed proponent of fiscal conservatism, Perry often campaigned on job growth and tax issues, such as his opposition to creating a state income tax. In 2002, Perry refused to promise not to raise taxes as governor, and in the following years did propose or approve various tax and debt increases.[48][49][50][51] In 2009, Perry signed Grover Norquist's pledge to "oppose and veto any and all efforts to increase taxes".[52][53]


Texas began borrowing money in 2003 to pay for roads and was projected to 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.[54] The state's public finance authority sold $2 billion in bonds for unemployment benefits, and it was authorized to sell $1.5 billion more if necessary. Texas federal borrowing topped $1.6 billion in October 2010, before the bond sales.[55]


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.[56] (Perry became chairman of the group in 2008 and again in 2011.[57]) Perry was criticized for supporting corporate tax breaks and other incentives, while the state government was experiencing budget deficits.[58][59]


As Governor of Texas, Perry received grades of B in 2004,[60][61] B in 2006,[62][63] B in 2008,[64][65] B in 2010,[66][67] C in 2012,[68][69] and B in 2014[70][71] from the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, in their biennial Fiscal Policy Report Card on America's Governors.



Healthcare




Governor Perry speaking at the Houston Technology Center in 2010


As governor, Perry was an opponent of federal health-care reform proposals and of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, describing the latter as "socialism on American soil".[72] His focus in Texas was on tort reform, signing a bill in 2003 that restricted non-economic damages in medical malpractice judgments.[73] 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.[72][74]


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 cut Medicaid spending.[72][75] 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."[75]


Perry's office 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."[75]


Perry is anti-abortion and has signed bills with rules or restrictions for abortion procedures and funding for them.[76]


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.[77][78]


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.[79] Following the move, news outlets reported various apparent financial connections between Perry and the vaccine's manufacturer, Merck.[79][80]


Merck's political action committee has contributed $28,500 since 2001 to Perry's campaigns.[81] The order was criticized by some parents and social conservatives, and a lawsuit was filed later that month.[82] 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 Texan cervical cancer victims.[83]


On July 1, 2011, Perry both had adult stem cell surgery in Houston and started "laying the groundwork" for the commercialization of the adult stem cell industry in Texas.[84][85]



Religion




Governor Perry speaking at the 2014 Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland


Perry grew up in the United Methodist Church. He and his family were members of Tarrytown United Methodist Church in Austin until 2010, when they began attending Lake Hills Church,[86] a non-denominational evangelical megachurch in western Travis County. Perry told the Austin American-Statesman that he began attending Lake Hills because it was close to the rental home where he and his wife lived while the Governor's Mansion was being renovated.[87]


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."[88]


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 of religious references."[89]


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.[90][91] The event was criticized as going beyond prayer and fasting to include launching Perry's presidential campaign.[92]


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".[93]



Education


In 2005, Perry said 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".[94]


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.[95][96]


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.[97] In September 2014, Gov. Perry stated during a debate his continuous support for the program.[98]



LGBT rights




Perry speaking at the 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland


In 2002, Perry described the Texas same-sex anti-sodomy law as "appropriate".[99] The following year, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the statute in Lawrence v. Texas, determining that it violated the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution.


In his 2010 book, Perry referenced the Lawrence decision, writing "Texans have a different view of the world than do the nine oligarchs in robes."[100] In 2011, Perry admitted that he did not know about the Lawrence decision; when told that the Supreme Court case had struck down Texas's anti-sodomy law, Perry said: "I'm not taking the bar exam ... I don't know what a lot of legal cases involve ... [M]y position on traditional marriage is clear ... I don't need a federal law case to explain it to me."[100]


Perry supported Texas Proposition 2 in 2005, a ballot proposition that 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" (such as civil unions).[101]


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 in the Tenth Amendment.[102] 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 ratification by three-fourths of the states.[103]


After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015 that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by the Constitution, Perry condemned the decision, saying: "I'm a firm believer in traditional marriage, and I also believe the 10th Amendment leaves it to each state to decide this issue."[104]


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.[105]


During the 2012 presidential campaign, he criticized the repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy for the U.S. military.[106] Perry said using foreign aid as a policy tool against foreign countries that violate the human rights of homosexuals was "not in America's interests" and was part of a "war on traditional American values".[107]


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.[108]



Crime


Perry's campaigns for lieutenant governor and governor focused on a tough stance on crime. He has supported block grants for crime programs.[109]


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."[110]


In 2007, Perry signed a law ending automatic arrest for cannabis possession.[111]



Death penalty



Perry supports the death penalty.[112] In June 2001, he vetoed a ban on the execution of mentally retarded inmates.[113] In 2011, during a televised debate for presidential candidates, he said he'd "never struggled" with the question of the possible innocence of any of the 234 inmates executed to date while he was governor.[114]


Cases in which Perry has been criticized for his lack of intervention include those of Cameron Todd Willingham and Mexican nationals José Medellín and Humberto Leal Garcia.[115][116][117]


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.[118]


Perry also refused to grant a stay of execution in the case of Cameron Todd Willingham even though an investigation by the Texas Forensic Science Commission determined parts of the original investigation may not have looked at all of the evidence correctly. Perry called Willingham a "monster" and later replaced the chairman of the Science Commission.[119]



Infrastructure


In 2002, Perry proposed the Trans-Texas Corridor, a $175 billion transportation network that would include a 4,000-mile network of highways, rail, and utility lines and would be funded by private investors. Plans for the project were dropped in 2009 in favor of more incremental road projects.[120][121]



Gun ownership


Perry has an A+ rating from the National Rifle Association.[122] He possesses a Concealed Carry License (CCL)[123] and has signed a number of bills that increased CHL access.[124]



Illegal immigration


During a large surge in illegal immigration through the U.S. southern border in the summer of 2014, Perry criticized U.S. President Barack Obama, saying that the surge was "a humanitarian crisis that he has the ability to stop."[125] On July 21, 2014, Perry announced he would send in 1,000 National Guard troops to secure the border.[126][127] Although illegal immigration levels declined over 70% after Perry deployed the National Guard, PolitiFact.com rated his claim that the decline resulted from the surge as "mostly false."[128]



Veto controversy and exoneration



On August 15, 2014, Perry was indicted by a Travis County grand jury.[129] The first charge of the indictment was abuse of official capacity, which has since been ruled unconstitutional,[130] for threatening to veto $7.5 million in funding for the Public Integrity Unit, a state public corruption prosecutors department. The second charge, which has also since been ruled unconstitutional,[130] was coercion of a public servant,[131] for seeking the resignation of Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg, a Democrat,[132] after she was convicted of drunk driving, and incarcerated.


Perry pleaded not guilty to both charges. Perry's supporters called the charges political and partisan,[133] and several Democratic commentators, including David Axelrod, Matthew Yglesias, and Jonathan Chait stated they believed the charges were either weak or unwarranted.[134][135]


In February 2016, Perry was cleared of all charges.[136]


The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that courts could not limit veto power and that prosecuting Perry over his action violates "the separation of powers provision of the Texas Constitution" and infringed on Perry's First Amendment right to freedom of speech.[130]



Retirement as governor



By the end of his third full term, he had served more than 14 consecutive years in office. A University of Texas at Austin–Texas Tribune poll released in June 2013, showed Perry leading potential primary challenger Attorney General Greg Abbott by double digits, 45–19%.[137] In February, the same poll had Perry leading by a 3-to-1 margin (49–17%) of 32 points over Abbott.[138]


However, Perry decided not to run for re-election to a fourth full term, announcing in front of family and supporters at the Holt Cat headquarters in San Antonio on July 8, 2013 that he would retire instead.[139][140]


Perry retired with the 10th longest gubernatorial tenure in United States history at the end of his term on January 20, 2015 at 5,143 days as well as the record of the longest serving Texas Governor.[141][142]



2012 presidential campaign





Perry campaigning at the Iowa State Fair, August 14, 2011


Perry was considered as a potential candidate since as early as the 2008 presidential election, initially denying he was interested in the office but later becoming more open-minded. He formally launched his campaign on August 13, 2011, in Charleston, South Carolina.[143]


While he was initially successful in fundraising and was briefly considered a serious contender for the nomination, he struggled during the debates and his poll numbers began to decline. After finishing fifth with just over 10% of the vote in the Iowa caucuses on January 3, 2012, Perry considered dropping out of the presidential race but did not.[144][145] After a poor showing in New Hampshire and with "lagging" poll numbers in South Carolina, Perry formally announced he was suspending his campaign on January 19, 2012.[146]



2016 presidential campaign





Rick Perry speaking at 2015 First in the Nation Republican Leadership Summit in New Hampshire


Almost immediately following the 2012 election, Perry was mentioned as a potential candidate for the presidency in the 2016 presidential election, with a Time magazine article in July 2013 saying that "everything is aligned for Rick Perry to be the Republican nominee for president in 2016."[147]


Perry officially launched his 2016 presidential candidacy on June 4, 2015, in Addison, Texas. A version of the Colt Ford song "Answer To No One" boomed from loudspeakers, as Perry took to the stage.[148][149][150][151][152] He then announced his candidacy at the scheduled press conference.[153]


Perry withdrew on September 11, 2015—becoming the first in the field of major candidates to drop out—following poor polling after the first debate.[154] In the weeks before he dropped out of the race, Perry's campaign was in dire financial straits, spending nearly four times as much as it raised.[155]


On January 25, 2016, Perry endorsed United States Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) for president.[156] On May 5, 2016, following the suspension of Cruz's presidential campaign, Perry endorsed Donald Trump for the presidency.[157]



Secretary of Energy




Secretary Perry at the 2017 Energy Project Management Awards on March 22, 2017


On December 12, 2016, multiple sources reported that Perry would be nominated by Trump to serve as Secretary of the United States Department of Energy.[158][159] On December 14, 2016, it was officially announced that Perry would be nominated as Secretary of Energy by President-elect Donald Trump.[160] He was heavily criticized when he was first nominated because, during a previous presidential campaign, Perry (after briefly forgetting which of the three departments he wanted to eliminate) said he intended to abolish the department.[161] His nomination was approved by a 16–7 vote from the United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on January 31, 2017.[162]


On March 2, 2017, Perry was confirmed by the United States Senate in a 62–37 vote.


In April 2017, Perry ordered a study of the U.S. electric grid with particular consideration to coal power.[163][164]


In a CNBC interview on June 19, 2017, he downplayed the role of human activity in the recent rise of the Earth’s temperature, saying natural causes are likely the main driver of climate change.[165]


In November 2017, Perry suggested that using fossil fuels to light dangerous places in Africa could reduce sexual assault, saying, "When the lights are on, when you have light that shines the righteousness, if you will, on those types of acts." Perry was criticized by the Sierra Club for "exploiting the struggle of those most affected by climate change."[166][167]



Political future


Perry was mentioned as a possible challenger, in 2018, to U.S. Senator and fellow 2016 Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, whom Perry had initially endorsed after suspending his own campaign.[168] Speculation about Cruz being challenged in the Republican primary arose in the wake of the 2016 Republican National Convention, when Cruz controversially refused to endorse Donald Trump, the eventual Republican presidential nominee, whom Perry had endorsed after Cruz suspended his campaign.[169]


In a poll conducted from August 12 to 14 of that year by Public Policy Polling, Perry had a 46%–37% lead over Cruz.[170] Later that month, Trump stated that he had "been hearing a lot about that, and I don’t know if he wants to do it, but boy, will he do well. People love him in Texas, and he was one great governor."[169]



Career outside politics


On February 2015, Perry announced that he would join the board of directors of Energy Transfer Partners,[171] which owns and operates one of the largest energy asset portfolios in the United States, and Sunoco Partners, another major Dallas energy company.[172][173] According to SEC filings, Perry resigned from the boards of both companies on December 31, 2016.[173]



Dancing with the Stars


On August 30, 2016, Perry was announced as one of the celebrities who would compete on season 23 of Dancing with the Stars. He was partnered with professional dancer Emma Slater.[174] Perry and Slater were eliminated on the third week of competition and finished in 12th place.[175]



Books and speeches


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.[176] 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.[177]


  • Fed Up! Our Fight to Save America from Washington, was written with senior advisor Chip Roy and published in November 2010.[178] It discusses his support for limited federal government.


He has given a number of speeches, including one at the Heritage Foundation on his views of the proper role of the federal government and the military in disaster management.[179]



Personal life


In 1982, Perry married Mary Anita Thigpen, his childhood sweetheart whom he had known since elementary school. They have two adult children, Griffin and Sydney. Anita 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.[180] She helped develop and host the Texas Conference for Women.[181]


Perry played himself in minor roles for several feature films, including Man of the House, Deep in the Heart, and Hating Breitbart.[182]


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 [its] history... but also about the importance of the values that we learned growing up in a rural environment".[183]


Perry is a member of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and was awarded its Gold Good Citizenship Medal.[184]



Electoral history



























Texas gubernatorial election, 2002
Party
Candidate
Votes
%


Republican

Rick Perry (incumbent)

2,617,106

58


Democratic

Tony Sanchez
1,809,915
40















































Texas gubernatorial election, 2006[185]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%


Republican

Rick Perry (incumbent)

1,716,792

39


Democratic

Chris Bell
1,310,337
30


Independent

Carole Keeton Strayhorn
796,851
18


Independent

Richard "Kinky" Friedman
547,674
12


Libertarian
James Werner
26,749
<1















































Texas gubernatorial election, 2010[186]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%


Republican

Rick Perry (incumbent)

2,733,784

55


Democratic

Bill White
2,102,606
42


Libertarian

Kathie Glass
109,057
2


Green
Deb Shafto
19,475
0


Independent
Andy Barron (write-in)
7,973
0


See also



  • Republican Party presidential candidates, 2016

  • Political positions of Rick Perry



References





  1. ^ Peterson-Withorn, Chase (December 22, 2016). "Here's What Each Member Of Trump's $4.5 Billion Cabinet Is Worth". Forbes..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}


  2. ^ Kudlow, Larry (March 6, 2015). "Captain Rick Perry: Time for a military man in the White House?". CNBC. Retrieved September 13, 2016.


  3. ^ "Confirmation Vote of Rick Perry for Secretary of Energy | Decision Desk HQ". Decision Desk HQ. March 2, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2017.


  4. ^ "rick perry". Freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com. Retrieved March 12, 2012.


  5. ^ "Surname Database: Perry Last Name Origin". Surnamedb.com. Retrieved March 12, 2012.


  6. ^ "Richard L. Connor: Texas' Perry might surprise Obama in 2012". Portland Press Herald. June 5, 2011. Retrieved January 4, 2017.


  7. ^ ab "Texas Governor Rick Perry". Office of the Governor. Retrieved November 8, 2006.


  8. ^ Lucas, Fred (February 11, 2008). "Texas Governor Urges Protection for Boy Scouts of America". Cybercast News Service. Archived from the original on May 18, 2008. Retrieved August 12, 2011.


  9. ^ "Distinguished Eagle Scout Award" (PDF). Boy Scouts of America. Retrieved November 4, 2010.


  10. ^ Hylton, Hilary (January 25, 2009). "Bush Returns to a Divided Texas Republican Party". Time.


  11. ^ From Cheerleading to Politics, Abcnews.go.com (May 19, 2012); retrieved September 13, 2016.


  12. ^ ab Hooks, Chris (August 2, 2011). "Texas A&M Years Launched Perry – and a Rivalry". The Texas Tribune. Austin. Retrieved August 7, 2011.


  13. ^ Jacobs, Jennifer (September 21, 2011). "Trivia question: Which presidential candidate has a degree in economics?". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved November 12, 2011.


  14. ^ Wood, E. Thomas (February 27, 2009). "Dortch Oldham dies at 89". NashvillePost.com. Retrieved December 2, 2010.


  15. ^ "For Rick Perry, Air Force Service Broadened and Narrowed Life". The New York Times. November 25, 2011.


  16. ^ "Candidates' Corner 2012– Rick Perry". U.S. Global Leadership Coalition | American Foreign Policy & Foreign Affairs – Usglc.org. August 13, 2011. Archived from the original on May 14, 2012. Retrieved August 18, 2011.


  17. ^ Camia, Catalina (July 15, 2011). "GOP's Rick Perry spent early years as a Democrat". USA Today. Retrieved August 18, 2011.


  18. ^ "71st Legislature, 6th C.S., HR63" (PDF). Legislative Reference Library of Texas. 1990. Retrieved August 13, 2011.


  19. ^ Jay Root, Rick Perry: The Democrat Years The Texas Tribune July 14, 2011.


  20. ^ Selby, W. Gardner (September 7, 2011). "Rick Perry backed Al Gore, didn't lead his Texas campaign". PolitiFact Texas. Retrieved June 4, 2015.


  21. ^ "50 Things You need to Know about Governor Rick Perry" Dallas Morning News February 19, 2010.


  22. ^ Bickerstaff, Steve (2010). Lines in the Sand: Congressional Redistricting in Texas and the Downfall of Tom DeLay. University of Texas Press. p. 21. ISBN 9780292783058.


  23. ^ "TX Agriculture Commissioner – R Primary Race – Mar 13, 1990". Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 4, 2016.


  24. ^ "TX Agriculture Commissioner – R Runoff Race". Our Campaigns. April 10, 1990. Retrieved February 4, 2016.


  25. ^ Three ex-aides to Hightower are sentenced Houston Chronicle. November 11, 1993


  26. ^ "TX Agriculture Commissioner Race". Our Campaigns. November 6, 1990. Retrieved February 4, 2016.


  27. ^ Lou Dubose; Jan Reid; Carl M. Cannon (2003). Boy Genius: Karl Rove, the Brains Behind the Remarkable Political Triumph of George W. Bush. PublicAffairs. p. 43. ISBN 9781586481926.


  28. ^ "What is the Texas Department of Agriculture?". Texas Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on August 22, 2006. Retrieved August 18, 2011.


  29. ^ Ashford-Grooms, Meghan (September 24, 2011). "Ron Paul says Rick Perry wrote a letter supporting Hillarycare". Austin American-Statesman / PolitiFact.com. Retrieved October 18, 2011.


  30. ^ R.G. Ratcliffe (March 29, 2005). "Perry letter commending Hillary Clinton found". Houston Chronicle.


  31. ^ "Tea Party faithful wonder if Rick Perry walks the walk". Accuracy in Media. August 10, 2011. Archived from the original on November 1, 2011. Retrieved October 10, 2011.


  32. ^ Ramsey, Ross (July 14, 2011). "Perry, Social Conservatives and the Road to the Top". The Texas Tribune.


  33. ^ Ratcliffe, R.G. (September 10, 2009). "The video Perry's campaign can't resist using". San Antonio Express-News.


  34. ^ Mark, David. Going dirty: the Art of Negative Campaigning. p. 127.


  35. ^ Ratcliffe, R.G. (March 30, 2005). "Perry says Hutchison-Clinton video politics as usual". Houston Chronicle.


  36. ^ ab "Office of the Secretary of State : 1992 – Current ELECTION HISTORY". Elections.oso.state.tx.us. Archived from the original on August 15, 2011. Retrieved May 5, 2015.


  37. ^ Swartz, Mimi (September 2011). "The Great Campaigner". Texas Monthly.


  38. ^ "If Rick Perry gets in, will Karl Rove be out?". Politico. Retrieved September 10, 2010.


  39. ^ Taibbi, Matt (October 26, 2011), "Rick Perry: The Best Little Whore In Texas", Rolling Stone, retrieved November 20, 2011


  40. ^ "The Executive Branch: Budgetary Powers" Archived February 23, 2014, at the Wayback Machine., Texas Politics, University of Texas at Austin, retrieved June 20, 2011


  41. ^ The Limits of the Veto Archived February 28, 2014, at the Wayback Machine., Texas Politics, University of Texas at Austin, retrieved June 20, 2011


  42. ^ Aaronson, Becca (June 17, 2011). "Vetoes – Then and Now". The Texas Tribune. Austin. Retrieved June 20, 2011.


  43. ^ "Susan Wedding President/CEO OneStar Foundation". faithworksconference.com. Archived from the original on January 5, 2009. Retrieved March 19, 2015.


  44. ^ "San Antonio Exec Named President of OneStar Foundation". Fund Raising Success Magazine. February 12, 2009. Retrieved March 19, 2015.


  45. ^ Luhby, Tami (August 12, 2011). "Rick Perry and his Texas jobs boom: The whole story". CNNMoney.com. Retrieved August 18, 2011.


  46. ^ "The Lone Star Jobs Surge". The Wall Street Journal. June 10, 2011. Retrieved August 18, 2011.


  47. ^ Plumer, Brad (July 28, 2011). "Breaking down Rick Perry's 'Texas miracle' – Ezra Klein". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 18, 2011.


  48. ^ Gleckman, Howard (August 16, 2011). "Rick Perry's Changing Take On Raising Taxes". Forbes; accessed September 13, 2016.


  49. ^ "The Texas pole tax", The Economist, January 3, 2008.


  50. ^ "Gov. Perry Signs Landmark Business Tax Reform" (Press release). Office of the Governor. May 18, 2006. Archived from the original on August 20, 2011. Retrieved August 7, 2011.


  51. ^ "New Texas Margin Tax – Business or Income Tax", accountingweb.com, August 16, 2006; retrieved August 18, 2011.


  52. ^ "Rick Perry Signs Taxpayer Protection Pledge to the American People". Americans for Tax Reforms. Retrieved January 23, 2017.


  53. ^ http://www.washingtontimes.com, The Washington Times. "Chris Christie signs Grover Norquist's no-tax pledge". The Washington Times. Retrieved January 23, 2017.


  54. ^ "Analyzing Rick Perry's record: Texas transportation needs left behind | Texas on the Potomac". Blog.chron.com. August 20, 2011. Retrieved March 12, 2012.


  55. ^ Schnurman, Mitchell. "Texas' debt practices contradict Perry's rhetoric". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Archived from the original on March 10, 2012. Retrieved March 12, 2012.


  56. ^ Perry Mines Texas System to Raise Cash, by Nicholas Confessore and Michael Lu, The New York Times, August 20, 2011.


  57. ^ "RGA Announces New Leadership". Republican Governors Association. November 18, 2010. Retrieved March 26, 2011.


  58. ^ Luhby, Tami (January 19, 2011). "Even budget deficits are bigger in Texas". Money.cnn.com. Retrieved February 22, 2014.


  59. ^ "Lines Blur as Texas Gives Industries a Bonanza", nytimes.com, December 3, 2012.


  60. ^ Moore, Stephen; Slivinski, Stephen (March 1, 2005). "Fiscal Policy Report Card on America's Governors: 2004" (PDF). Policy Analysis No. 537. Cato Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.


  61. ^ Moore, Stephen; Slivinski, Stephen (March 1, 2005). "Fiscal Policy Report Card on America's Governors: 2004". Cato Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.


  62. ^ Slivinski, Stephen (October 24, 2006). "Fiscal Policy Report Card on America's Governors: 2006" (PDF). Policy Analysis No. 581. Cato Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.


  63. ^ Slivinski, Stephen (October 24, 2006). "Fiscal Policy Report Card on America's Governors: 2006". Cato Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.


  64. ^ Edwards, Chris (October 20, 2008). "Fiscal Policy Report Card on America's Governors: 2008" (PDF). Policy Analysis No. 624. Cato Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.


  65. ^ Edwards, Chris (October 20, 2008). "Fiscal Policy Report Card on America's Governors: 2008". Cato Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.


  66. ^ Edwards, Chris (September 30, 2010). "Fiscal Policy Report Card on America's Governors: 2010" (PDF). Policy Analysis No. 668. Cato Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.


  67. ^ Edwards, Chris (September 30, 2010). "Fiscal Policy Report Card on America's Governors: 2010". Cato Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.


  68. ^ Edwards, Chris (October 9, 2012). "Fiscal Policy Report Card on America's Governors 2012" (PDF). Cato Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.


  69. ^ Edwards, Chris (October 9, 2012). "Fiscal Policy Report Card on America's Governors: 2012". Cato Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.


  70. ^ Kaeding, Nicole; Edwards, Chris (October 2, 2014). "Fiscal Policy Report Card on America's Governors 2014" (PDF). Cato Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.


  71. ^ Kaeding, Nicole; Edwards, Chris (October 2, 2014). "Fiscal Policy Report Card on America's Governors 2014". Cato Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.


  72. ^ abc Sack, Kevin. "G.O.P. Candidates' Stances on Health Care Mask Their Records as Governors". The New York Times. Retrieved September 13, 2016.


  73. ^ Blumenthal, Ralph. "Malpractice Suits Capped at $750,000 in Texas Vote". The New York Times. Retrieved September 13, 2016.


  74. ^ Paik, Myungho; Black, Bernard S.; Hyman, David A.; Silver, Charles M. (July 16, 2010). "Will Tort Reform Bend the Cost Curve? Evidence from Texas". Social Science Research Network. SSRN 1635882. Missing or empty |url= (help)
    [dead link]



  75. ^ abc Levey, Noam (September 8, 2011). "Texas healthcare system withering under Gov. Perry". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 13, 2016.


  76. ^ "Rick Perry Gets A Grade on Abortion From Texas Pro-Life Groups". LifeNews.com. June 10, 2011. Retrieved August 7, 2011.


  77. ^ Saenz, Arlette. "Rick Perry Clarifies Abortion Stand, Mother's Life Only Exception". ABC News, December 28, 2011.


  78. ^ Philpott, Ben. "Rick Perry Pivots on Abortion", KUTNews.org, December 27, 2011.


  79. ^ ab Carney, Timothy (June 21, 2011) "Rick Perry's mixed record on regulatory robbery"[permanent dead link], The Washington Examiner


  80. ^ Peterson, Liz Austin (February 22, 2007). "Perry's staff discussed vaccine on day Merck donated to campaign". Austin American-Statesman. Associated Press. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved August 7, 2011.


  81. ^ Mason, Melanie. "Rick Perry understated drug company campaign cash". Los Angeles Times, September 13, 2011.


  82. ^ "Texas Families Seek to Block Gov's Order". Newsmax Media. Associated Press. February 25, 2007. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2011.


  83. ^ MacLaggan, Corrie (May 9, 2007). "Perry lets HPV bill go into law". Austin American-Statesman. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved August 16, 2011.


  84. ^ Ramshaw, Emily (August 4, 2011). "Perry, Allies Lay Groundwork for TX Stem Cell Industry". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved March 6, 2012.


  85. ^ Maslin Nir, Sarah (August 4, 2011). "Rick Perry Has Stem Cell Procedure, Then Works to Bring it to Texas". The New York Times. Retrieved March 6, 2012.


  86. ^ "Lake Hills Church". lhc.org. Retrieved September 13, 2015.


  87. ^ Joshunda Sanders, Jason Embry. "Candidates attending more than one church". Austin American-Statesman. Archived from the original on November 6, 2010. Retrieved August 20, 2011.


  88. ^ Hoppe, Christy (November 6, 2006). "Perry believes non-Christians doomed". The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on November 19, 2006. Retrieved September 1, 2011.


  89. ^ Perry, Rick (2008). On My Honor. Macon, GA: Stroud & Hall Publishers. p. 88. ISBN 0-9796462-2-7.


  90. ^ Perry, Rick (June 6, 2011). "Gov. Perry Declares August 6th a Day of Prayer". Office of the Governor. Archived from the original on June 14, 2011. Retrieved June 29, 2011.


  91. ^ Bacon, Perry, Jr.; Henderson, Nia-Malika (August 5, 2011). "Texas Gov. Rick Perry to host major prayer event in Houston". The Washington Post.


  92. ^ Fikac, Peggy (August 19, 2011). "Email on voting prompts questions about Perry prayer event". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved August 20, 2011.


  93. ^ "2010 The Vote: K-12 Education". San Angelo Standard-Times. September 11, 2010. Archived from the original on September 16, 2010. Retrieved August 18, 2011.


  94. ^ "Press Release: Gov. Perry Says Legislators Must Come Back, Get School Funding Right". Office of the Governor. Archived from the original on August 20, 2010. Retrieved August 18, 2011.


  95. ^ "Proceedings: Third Day – Tuesday, July 26, 2005". Archived from the original on November 30, 2005.


  96. ^ "Gov. Perry's Principles For A Stronger Texas" (PDF). Office of the Governor. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 20, 2011. Retrieved August 7, 2011.


  97. ^ Perry, Rick (August 22, 2001). "Gov. Rick Perry's Remarks to the Border Summit". Office of the Governor. Archived from the original on August 19, 2011. Retrieved August 14, 2011.


  98. ^ Batheja, Aman. "Perry backs in-state tuition law". Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved September 22, 2014.


  99. ^ "Perry calls sodomy law 'appropriate'". Houston Chronicle. Associated Press. December 4, 2002. Archived from the original on February 2, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2011.


  100. ^ ab Arlette Saenz, Perry Draws Blank on Landmark Texas Anti-Sodomy Supreme Court Case, ABC News, December 29, 2011.


  101. ^ Elliott, Janet (November 8, 2005). "Same-sex marriage ban wins OK". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved August 29, 2011.


  102. ^ Jacobs, Jennifer (July 23, 2011). "Perry defends gay marriage as states' choice; Santorum takes a swipe". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved August 19, 2011.


  103. ^ Barabak, Mark Z. (July 28, 2011). "Rick Perry contorts over same-sex marriage". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 19, 2011.


  104. ^ Jennifer Rubin, The GOP contenders react to the same-sex marriage decision, The Washington Post, June 26, 2015.


  105. ^ Benjamin, Mark (August 24, 2011). "Perry Compared Homosexuality to Alcoholism in 2008 Book". Time. Retrieved October 21, 2011.


  106. ^ Stein, Sam (December 8, 2011). "Rick Perry's Anti-Gay Iowa Ad Divides His Top Staff". The Huffington Post. Retrieved February 15, 2012.


  107. ^ "Rick Perry Says Human Rights for Gays 'Not in America's Interests'". ABC News. December 6, 2011. Archived from the original on March 1, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2014.


  108. ^ Associated Press, Perry Fights Letting Gays in Boy Scouts, nytimes.com, February 2, 2013.


  109. ^ "Public Notes on 01-NGA10". On The Issues. September 14, 2001. Retrieved August 18, 2011.


  110. ^ Sontag, Deborah (October 30, 2011). "Perry Displays Varied Stance Toward Crime". The New York Times.


  111. ^ Yoder, Steve (November 7, 2011). "The GOP, 'tough on crime' no more?" Salon.


  112. ^ Thomas, Evan; Brant, Martha (November 10, 2007). "Injection of Reflection". Newsweek. Archived from the original on November 13, 2007. Retrieved June 22, 2008.


  113. ^ Bonner, Raymond (June 18, 2001). "Ban on Execution of the Retarded is Vetoed in Texas". The New York Times. Retrieved September 12, 2015.


  114. ^ Montopoli, Brian (7 September 2011). "Rick Perry: I don't lose sleep over Texas executions". CBS News. Retrieved 31 May 2018.


  115. ^ "From arson to politics: Why has Texas's governorderailed a death-penalty investigation?". The Economist. October 22, 2009. Retrieved August 13, 2011.


  116. ^ Grann, David (January 7, 2009). "Cameron Todd Willingham, Texas, and the death penalty". The New Yorker. Retrieved August 7, 2011.


  117. ^ Graczyk, Michael (July 8, 2011). "Criticism of Texas' execution of Mexican Humberto Leal Garcia doesn't bother Perry". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
    [dead link]



  118. ^ "Governor Commutes Sentence in Texas". The New York Times. August 31, 2007.


  119. ^ Thornton, Paul (August 6, 2014). "Cameron Todd Willingham's ghost won't stop haunting Rick Perry". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 20, 2015.


  120. ^ Ruiz, Rosanna; Elliott, Janet; Ratcliffe, R.G. (January 6, 2009). "Trans-Texas Corridor plans dropped after public outcry". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 13 June 2017.


  121. ^ "Trans-texas Corridor". Texas Tribune. Retrieved 13 June 2017.


  122. ^ "Rick Perry's unwavering support for gun rights could boost his presidential prospects". nraila.org. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved August 14, 2011.


  123. ^ "'Wily' coyote no match for governor's gun". Austin American-Statesman. Archived from the original on May 1, 2010. Retrieved August 14, 2011.


  124. ^ "Gov. Perry Signs Bills to Protect Gun Owners' Rights". Office of the Governor Rick Perry. Archived from the original on August 20, 2011. Retrieved August 14, 2011.


  125. ^ "Texas Gov. Perry: Illegal Immigrant Surge a 'Humanitarian Crisis' Obama Can Stop". Fox News. July 10, 2014. Retrieved April 9, 2017.


  126. ^ Fernandez, Manny; Shear, Michael D. (July 21, 2014). "Texas Governor Bolsters Border, and His Profile". The New York Times. Retrieved April 9, 2017.


  127. ^ Root, Jay (July 21, 2014). "Perry Sending Guard Troops to the Border". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved April 9, 2017.


  128. ^ Saacks, Bradley (July 26, 2015). "Rick Perry Says 74 Percent Drop in Border Apprehensions Shows Texas Surge Worked". PolitiFact.com. Retrieved April 9, 2017.


  129. ^ Benjy Sarlin (August 12, 2014). "Rick Perry indicted for abuse of power by grand jury". MSNBC. Retrieved August 17, 2014.


  130. ^ abc Malewitz, Jim; Ramsey, Ross (February 24, 2016). "Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Dismisses Rick Perry Indictment". Texas Tribune. Austin, Texas. Retrieved February 25, 2016.


  131. ^ "Texas Gov. Rick Perry indicted for alleged abuse of power in veto dispute". Fox News. October 1, 2006. Retrieved August 17, 2014.


  132. ^ Manny Fernandez (August 15, 2014). "Gov. Rick Perry of Texas Is Indicted on Charge of Abuse of Power". The New York Times. Retrieved August 20, 2014.


  133. ^ "Texas Gov. Rick Perry is indicted". Los Angeles times. Retrieved August 16, 2014.


  134. ^ "Perry indicted". The Washington Post. August 15, 2014. Archived from the original on August 16, 2014.


  135. ^ Colin Campbell (August 16, 2014). "Even Liberals Think The Indictment Of Rick Perry Looks Weak". Business Insider. Retrieved August 16, 2014.


  136. ^ Dann, Carrie. "Texas Court Dismisses Second Felony Charge Against Rick Perry", NBC News (February 24, 2016).


  137. ^ UT/TT Poll: Texans Favor Cruz Over Perry for President, TexasTribune.org; retrieved August 12, 2013.


  138. ^ UT/TT Poll: Perry Starts Ahead of Abbott in 2014 Race, TexasTribune.org; retrieved on August 12, 2013.


  139. ^ "Texas Gov. Rick Perry announces he will not seek re-election in 2014". KTRK. July 8, 2013. Archived from the original on July 11, 2013. Retrieved July 8, 2013.


  140. ^ "Rick Perry Won't Run for Re-election". The Texas Tribune. July 8, 2013. Retrieved October 11, 2014.


  141. ^ Ostermeier, Eric (July 8, 2013). "Perry Will Retire with 10th Longest Gubernatorial Tenure in US History". Smart Politics.


  142. ^ Ostermeier, Eric (January 20, 2015). "Perry Exits #10 in All-Time Gubernatorial Tenure". Smart Politics.


  143. ^ Parker, Ashley (August 13, 2011). "Promising Better Direction, Perry Enters Race". The New York Times. Retrieved January 11, 2012.


  144. ^ Whitesides, John (January 4, 2012). "Perry may drop presidential bid after Iowa". Reuters. Retrieved January 11, 2012.


  145. ^ Memoli, Michael A. (January 3, 2012). "Rick Perry suspending campaign after disappointing finish in Iowa caucuses". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 1, 2012.


  146. ^ Zeleny, Jeff; Shear, Michael D. (January 19, 2012). "Perry to End Bid for Presidency". The Caucus. The New York Times. Retrieved January 19, 2012.


  147. ^ Miller, Zeke (July 9, 2013). "Can Anyone Stop Rick Perry In 2016?". Time. Retrieved May 16, 2015.


  148. ^ Katz, Celeste. Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry announces 2016 presidential bid, New York Daily News (June 4, 2015).


  149. ^ Paulson, Dave. Rick Perry's country-rap song comes from Nashville, The Tennessean (June 5, 2015).


  150. ^ Weissert, Will; Peoples, Steve. "Rick Perry announces 2016 bid, a re-do from 2012". Associated Press. Retrieved June 4, 2015.


  151. ^ Bradner, Eric. "Rick Perry launches comeback bid for White House". CNN. Retrieved June 4, 2015.


  152. ^ Camia, Catalina; Jervis, Rick. "Rick Perry launches 2016 presidential campaign". USA TODAY. Retrieved June 4, 2015.


  153. ^ Beckwith, Ryan Teague; Rhodan, Maya (June 4, 2015). "Rick Perry Announces Presidential Bid". Time. Retrieved June 4, 2015.


  154. ^ Theodore Schleifer, CNN (September 11, 2015). "Rick Perry drops out of 2016 presidential race − CNNPolitics.com". CNN. Retrieved September 13, 2015.


  155. ^ Patrick Svitek, Records: Perry Campaign Bled Cash in Final Weeks, Texas Tribune, October 15, 2015.


  156. ^ Katie Glueck, Politico (January 25, 2016). "Rick Perry endorses Ted Cruz − politico.com". Politico. Retrieved January 25, 2016.


  157. ^ Svitek, Patrick (May 6, 2016). "Rick Perry on Trump Endorsement: "We Let Bygones be Bygones"". Texas Tribune. Retrieved 13 June 2017.


  158. ^ "Rick Perry tapped to be energy secretary under Donald Trump, reports say".


  159. ^ "Major Garrett: Donald Trump chooses Rick Perry to be energy secretary".


  160. ^ The Trump-Pence Transition Team (December 14, 2016). "President-Elect Donald J. Trump Intends toe Former Texas Governor Rick Perry as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy". GreatAgain.gov. Retrieved December 14, 2016.


  161. ^ "Will Rick Perry Promote Science at the Department of Energy?". The Atlantic. December 14, 2016.


  162. ^ Wolfgang, Ben (January 31, 2017). "Rick Perry, Ryan Zinke clear Senate committee with bipartisan support". The Washington Times. Retrieved January 31, 2017.


  163. ^ Jennifer A Dlouhy and Jennifer Jacobs (April 15, 2017). "Electric Grid Study Ordered by U.S. Energy Chief to Boost Coal". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved April 17, 2017.


  164. ^ Rick Perry (April 14, 2017). "Study Examining Electricity Markets and Reliability" (PDF). Prime Policy Group. United States Department of Energy. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 21, 2017. Retrieved May 21, 2017.


  165. ^ DiChristopher, Tom (June 19, 2017). "Energy Secretary Rick Perry says CO2 is not the main driver of climate change". Retrieved July 11, 2018.


  166. ^ "Rick Perry under fire for suggestion fossil fuels can reduce sexual assault". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 November 2017.


  167. ^ Dooley, Erin. "Rick Perry suggests fossil fuels could reduce sexual assault in Africa". ABC News. Retrieved 3 November 2017.


  168. ^ Barrouquere, Brett (August 25, 2016). "Ted Cruz eyeing 2020, but must clear Rick Perry, others for re-election". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved August 25, 2016.


  169. ^ ab Carney, Jordain (August 24, 2016). "Trump: Rick Perry would 'do well' against Cruz". The Hill. Retrieved August 25, 2016.


  170. ^ "Perry leads Cruz, 46%–37%" (PDF). Public Policy Polling. Retrieved August 25, 2016.


  171. ^ "EnergyTransfer.com – Investor Relations – Biography".


  172. ^ "EnergyTransfer.com – Investor Relations – Investor Relations Home".


  173. ^ ab "Rick Perry leaves board of Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners with confirmation looming". Dallas News. 2017-01-05. Retrieved 2017-08-24.


  174. ^ "'DWTS' 2016 Celebrity Cast Revealed: Ryan Lochte, Amber Rose, Rick Perry Among Star Lineup". Good Morning America: Yahoo. Retrieved August 30, 2016.


  175. ^ "'Dancing with the Stars' Results Live Blog: The Second Elimination". buddytv.com. September 27, 2016. Retrieved September 27, 2016.


  176. ^ Perry, Rick (February 2008). On My Honor: Why the American Values of the Boy Scouts are Worth Fighting For. Stroud & Hall. ISBN 978-0-9796462-2-5.


  177. ^ Selby, W. Gardner (February 9, 2008). "In first book, Perry criticizes ACLU and defends Boy Scouts". Austin American-Statesman. Archived from the original on February 27, 2008. Retrieved June 22, 2008.


  178. ^ Perry, Rick (November 2010). Fed Up! Our Fight to Save America from Washington. Little, Brown. ISBN 978-0-316-13295-4.


  179. ^ Perry, Rick (November 2005). Federalizing Disaster Response. Heritage Foundation.


  180. ^ "Endowment named for First Lady Anita Perry – University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio". Uthscsa.edu. June 15, 2001. Retrieved August 18, 2011.


  181. ^ Giles, Mike. "Governor Rick Perry Leads Texas by Faith". DFW Christian Family. Archived from the original on October 7, 2011. Retrieved August 22, 2011.


  182. ^ "Rick Perry". IMDb. Retrieved 13 June 2017.


  183. ^ Fillpot, Dirk (October 24, 2001). "Perry becomes a driving force". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved September 5, 2013.


  184. ^ Gov. Rick Perry Inducted, txssar.org, February 11, 2010.


  185. ^ "Texas Board of Elections as of July 24, 2009". Elections.sos.state.tx.us. Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2014.


  186. ^ "TX Governor Race". Our Campaigns. November 2, 2010. Retrieved September 4, 2010.




External links















  • Secretary of Energy Rick Perry

  • 2014 felony grand jury indictment


  • Rick Perry at Curlie


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


  • Appearances on C-SPAN



























































Texas House of Representatives
Preceded by
Joe Hanna

Member of the Texas House of Representatives
from the 64th district

1985–1991
Succeeded by
John Cook
Political offices
Preceded by
Jim Hightower

Agriculture Commissioner of Texas
1991–1999
Succeeded by
Susan Combs
Preceded by
Bob Bullock

Lieutenant Governor of Texas
1999–2000
Succeeded by
Bill Ratliff
Preceded by
George W. Bush

Governor of Texas
2000–2015
Succeeded by
Greg Abbott
Preceded by
Ernest Moniz

United States Secretary of Energy
2017–present

Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by
George W. Bush

Republican nominee for Governor of Texas
2002, 2006, 2010
Succeeded by
Greg Abbott
Preceded by
Sonny Perdue

Chair of the Republican Governors Association
2007–2008
Succeeded by
Mark Sanford
Preceded by
Haley Barbour

Chair of the Republican Governors Association
2010–2011
Succeeded by
Bob McDonnell

Current U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
Elaine Chao
as Secretary of Transportation

Order of Precedence of the United States
as Secretary of Energy

Succeeded by
Betsy DeVos
as Secretary of Education

Current U.S. presidential line of succession
Preceded by
Ben Carson
as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

14th in line
as Secretary of Energy

Succeeded by
Betsy DeVos
as Secretary of Education









Popular posts from this blog

Eastern Orthodox Church

Zagreb

Understanding the information contained in the Deep Space Network XML data?