Rick Perry

James Richard "Rick" Perry (born March 4, 1950) is a Republican politician and the current Governor of Texas. He assumed office in December of 2000 when then-Governor George W. Bush resigned to assume the office of President of the United States, and was elected in 2002 over Democrat Tony Sanchez.

Early life and political career

A fifth-generation Texan, Rick Perry was born in the West Texas town of Paint Creek, sixty miles north of Abilene, to ranchers Ray and Amelia Perry. His mother was a long-time Haskell County Commissioner and school board member. As a child, Perry was an active boy scout and earned the rank of Eagle Scout. Perry attended Texas A&M University where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets. Perry graduated from A&M in 1972 with a degree in animal science before joining the United States Air Force flying C-130 tactical airlift in the United States, the Middle East, and Europe until 1977 when he returned to Texas with the rank of captain. He worked on his father's ranch for a year before becoming a member of the State Board of Education in 1978. Rick Perry in his earlier days was a Democrat.

Related Topics:
Paint Creek - Abilene - Boy scout - Eagle Scout - Texas A&M University - Corps of Cadets - 1972 - Animal science - United States Air Force - C-130 - Middle East - Europe - 1977 - Captain - 1978 - Democrat

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Perry served on the State Board of Education until 1986. In 1984, he was elected to the state legislature as a representative of Haskell, Texas. He served on the important House Appropriations and Calendars Committees during his three terms as state legislator. In 1989, The Dallas Morning News named him one of the most effective legislators in the 71st legislature. Perry then switched parties, from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party in order to run for Commissioner of Agriculture in 1990, where he eventually defeated future radio talk-show host Jim Hightower. He served in that position until he was elected Lieutenant Governor in 1998 under George W. Bush.

Related Topics:
1986 - 1984 - Haskell, Texas - 1989 - The Dallas Morning News - Democratic Party - Republican Party - 1990 - Jim Hightower - 1998

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In 1982, Perry married Anita Thigpen, his childhood sweetheart whom he had known since elementary school. Anita and Rick have two children, Griffen (18) and Sydney (15). Anita attended West Texas State University and has a degree in nursing. She has spearheaded a number of health-related initiatives such as the Anita Thigpen Perry Endowment at the San Antonio Health Science Center, which focuses on nutrition, cardiovascular disease, health education and early childhood development.

Related Topics:
1982 - Anita Thigpen - West Texas State University - Nursing

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Rick Perry has a particular relevance in Texas political history. Perry's prominence as a popular Republican politician in West Texas was cited by Republican strategist Karl Rove as important to the growth of the Republican Party in that part of the statehttp://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2004/lastmanstanding/special_myth_kr.html. Together with Kay Bailey Hutchison's popularity among suburban and women voters and George W. Bush's success in Central Texas during his gubernatorial campaign, Rick Perry was part of an important shift in Texas politics to make the state a much more firmly Republican and conservative place.

Related Topics:
Karl Rove - Kay Bailey Hutchison - Central Texas

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