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Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Richard "Kinky" Friedman

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Enlarge photo by: Bob Daemmrich

Richard "Kinky" Friedman is an author and humorist who has made Texas gubernatorial bids and who in December 2009 announced he would enter the race to become the Democratic nominee for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture .

Friedman, known for his signature black hat, incessant cigar smoking and one-line jokes, ran for governor in 2006 as an independent candidate. His joke-laden campaign landed him in fourth place in a field of four major candidates. He received 12.4 percent of the vote. Friedman again announced his intention to run for governor of Texas as a Democratic nominee in April 2009 before reevaluating his role in the election and switching to the race for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture in December 2009.

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