On Monday, Texas Gov. Rick Perry told supporters that he has decided not to seek reelection as Governor next year. Perry is currently the longest-serving Governor in the nation. He has also been Governor longer than anyone else in Texas history. His decision is likely to fuel speculation that he is considering another run for President in 2016.
Perry’s decision was likely foreshadowed by the departure of several long-time senior members of his staff. He had built a formidable political machine within Texas. Until his troubled run for the GOP nomination in 2012, Perry had never lost a campaign in his nearly 30 year political career.
His decision also avoids a potential primary race against TX Attorney General Gregg Abbott, who seemed to be preparing to run for the office, regardless of Perry’s decision. The decision will also spark a round of political musical chairs in the Lone Star State. Perry has been Governor for 13 years, blocking a number of ambitious politicians from moving up to higher office.
There will likely be multi-candidate primaries for a number of state-wide offices next year. It isn’t clear at this time what plans Perry has for the future. For what it is worth, Perry was the first elected official to write an article for the Breitbart sites.