Reliably Austin
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Gov. Perry Says He Will Consider White House Run [VIDEO]

Photo by Chris Kosho for KUT News

Texas Governor Rick Perry says he will consider running for the White House after the legislature adjourns. Our political reporting partner, the Texas Tribune, says Perry was at a signing ceremony for a controversial voter ID law when he made his boldest remarks yet on the issue.

"I'm going to think about it," Perry said. He quickly added, "I think about a lot of things." Perry, the longest serving governor in the United States, was speaking to reporters after a signing ceremony marking the passage of a bill requiring Texans to show photo ID before voting. A reporter noted that Hispanic Republicans in the Legislature were urging him to run and had already endorsed him. Perry repeated his most recent mantra that he wouldn't be distracted by presidential talk while the legislative session is ongoing.

Political analyst Harvey Kronberg of the Quorom Report told KUT News that Perry has been running a “non-campaign campaign” for at least a year now.

“As soon as he formally announces, he has to lawyer up, create organization and start complying with federal law,” Kronberg said. “Right now, he’s in the absolute perfect position to shoot from the sidelines, and be seduced into running. But as soon as he declares, all of the sudden he’s subject to scrutiny that he’s not subject to now.”

Kronberg says Perry’s polling is not currently showing he’s a top tier candidate, in part because of resistance to Texas politicians post-George W. Bush.

“But as we get a clearer view of the Republican field, I think that he becomes one of the serious people in the campaign as opposed to one of the bomb throwing ideologues," he said.

Nathan Bernier is the transportation reporter at KUT. He covers the big projects that are reshaping how we get around Austin, like the I-35 overhaul, the airport's rapid growth and the multibillion dollar transit expansion Project Connect. He also focuses on the daily changes that affect how we walk, bike and drive around the city. Got a tip? Email him at nbernier@kut.org. Follow him on Twitter @KUTnathan.
Related Content