Rick Perry, the longest-serving governor in Texas state history infamous for both his power and his verbal missteps, announced Monday he will not run for re-election.
Perry has led a long and successful political career, scoring major conservative reforms for the Republicans in Texas, making thousands of political appointments in the state, and losing the vote only once in his 30-year career—the vote to be the Republican candidate in the 2012 presidential elections.
The decision is unlikely to change Texas policy or politics, writes the LATimes.com. As Perry himself said at the announcement, “Texas is and will remain a strong pro-life, pro-family, pro-freedom state.” However, it will give Perry more time to prepare for his next presidential campaign and avoid mishaps like those of 2012 (see video below, at 1:00, for example).
The announcement, which included teary-eyed moments and a quote from book of Ecclesiastes, left conservative State Attorney General Greg Abbott the frontrunner in the 2014 race. But the WashingtonPost.com suggests that Democrats may try to make use of Senator Wendy Davis’s newfound popularity; if you haven’t heard about her tennis-shoe filibuster, check it out at TheCelebrityCafe.com
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