Rick Perry to Lead Republican Governors Association
Politico reports:
Texas Gov. Rick Perry will be tapped as the new chairman of the Republican Governors Association when the organization meets next week in San Diego, GOP sources tell POLITICO.
Perry recently released a book taking aim at the federal government and both the subject of the tome, “Fed Up!,” and his promotion of it have increased speculation that he’s eyeing a presidential bid.
But his appointment to helm the RGA heading into 2011 – when three states will hold governors’ races – amounts to the first concrete evidence that the Texan is serious when he says he has no interest in pursuing the White House. It would be nearly impossible to raise money for the committee and help direct the gubernatorial contests in Louisiana, Mississippi and Kentucky while simultaneously running for president.
Perry’s move does, though, jibe with his oft-stated intent to serve as a leader of state-level opposition against President Obama and the federal government.
Perry, who easily won re-election last week, is entering his 10th year as governor and will soon be the nation’s longest-serving chief executive. He has already done one stint at the RGA, leading the committee in 2008, and was deeply involved with the committee before then, when Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue was at the helm.
“The RGA in 2006, under the leadership of Sonny Purdue and Rick Perry, put the concept of a four-year plan in place that allowed the governors, candidates, donors and staff to have a bigger vision then just one-year cycles,” said Dave Carney, Perry’s top political adviser. “This allowed [RGA executive director] Nick Ayers and [political director] Paul [Bennecke] the freedom to lead the committee towards 2010 over four years. It proved very successful.”
