U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who got trounced by Gov. Rick Perry in the 2010 gubernatorial race, isn’t exactly jumping on board her old rival’s presidential wagon. She signaled in an MSNBC interview that she wants a candidate with private-sector experience.
Jay Root
Jay Root is an award-winning journalist who reported for the Tribune from 2011 to 2020. He covered the dramatic collapse of Gov. Rick Perry’s 2012 presidential campaign and went on to write an ebook about it called “Oops! A Diary from the 2012 Campaign Trail.” Root also broke the story that put the Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, on the path toward criminal indictment, co-wrote an exposé that brought an end to privately funded prosecutions in Travis County, and authored a series of watchdog articles that prompted a wave of firings and resignations at two major state agencies.
In 2017, Root co-directed “Beyond The Wall,” a film exploring border politics in the age of Trump, which won a national Edward R. Murrow award for best news documentary. Root’s latest film, “Border Hustle,” was released in early 2019 and reveals how desperate migrants have become cash cows on both sides of the border.
Previously, for a dozen years, Root was Austin bureau chief of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where he chronicled the rise of then-Gov. George W. Bush, wrote about cartel violence in Mexico and covered Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. During a three-year stint at the Associated Press, Root was twice named AP Staff Reporter of the Year for his watchdog reporting, including a story that sparked felony charges against a sitting state representative.
Posted inState Government
Cloud of Controversy Hangs Over “Prayerpalooza”
Gov. Rick Perry is finally getting the kind of national spotlight he’ll need to run for president, but this weekend’s “day of prayer and fasting” rally in Houston may not be the kind of attention he was looking for.
Posted inState Government
Audio: Rick Perry’s Remarks to Western Conservative Summit
After an introduction by former Colorado Gov. Bill Owens, Gov. Rick Perry speaks to conservative activists at the Western Conservative Summit in Denver. Perry focused his attention on the economy and Barack Obama, but made a brief mention of his controversial remarks about gay marriage.
Posted inState Government
Perry a Distant Second to Cain in Denver Straw Poll
Rick Perry placed a distant second to Herman Cain in the Denver Straw Poll this weekend, but the Texas governor — not yet a declared candidate for president — outperformed putative frontrunners Mitt Romney and Michele Bachmann.
Posted inState Government
Santorum Blasts Perry in Denver
Rick Perry drew direct fire from a potential rival Friday night when GOP presidential contender Rick Santorum attacked the Texas governor’s recent comments about how far states can go in setting policies on gay marriage and abortion.
Posted inState Government
Perry Beating Santorum — in Book Sales
Gov. Rick Perry, who has at least one eye on the White House, is already beating potential rival Rick Santorum in this quite unofficial contest: book sales at the Western Conservative Summit in Denver. The two were expected to sign books, in the same room, Friday afternoon.
Posted inState Government
Rick Perry’s Federal Income Tax Returns 1991-2009
Gov. Rick Perry isn’t required to disclose his federal tax records but he has voluntarily released them for most of the time he has been in elected office. Perry, who makes $150,000 annually as governor, had his best year financially in 2007.
Posted inState Government
Well-Timed Land Deals Built Perry’s Portfolio
Gov. Rick Perry wasn’t born into wealth and has drawn relatively modest pay as an elected official since 1985, but he’s made a small fortune on land transactions — some with the help of rich and politically connected friends.
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Politics
Facing Criticism, Perry Steps Back on Gay Marriage, States’ Rights
Gov. Rick Perry, taking flak from social conservatives, took a step back from his laissez-faire approach to New York’s gay marriage law on Thursday. Now he says it threatens the definition of marriage everywhere, including Texas.
Posted in
Politics
Perry Faces Straw Poll Test in Colorado
Gov. Rick Perry’s name won’t appear on the key Iowa Straw Poll ballot, but he’ll face a test of his strength among Western conservatives this weekend in Denver in a straw poll of declared and undeclared Republican candidates.
