Rick Perry election paperwork raises eyebrows in Texas

AUSTIN, Texas (CN) — A familiar name is set to appear on the Republican ballot for March primary elections in Texas. Rick Perry is running for governor, but it's not the same one who used to hold the job.

Computer engineer Rick Lynn Perry of Springtown, Texas – not to be confused with the state's previous GOP governor and former U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry – filed his candidacy paperwork on Monday to challenge incumbent Republican Governor Greg Abbott for the party's nomination.

According to the Texas Tribune, Perry is a senior desktop technician for Lockheed Martin and a Republican activist. It is unclear what his policy platform is or what compelled him to enter the race. 

The primary challenger shares his name with Texas’ longest-serving governor. The better-known Perry had a long political career in the Lone Star State, starting in the 1980s when he was a member of the Texas House of Representatives. Perry went on to serve as agriculture commissioner of Texas and lieutenant governor before his three terms as governor.

In 2012 and 2016, Perry ran for president, struggling both times to garner support. Despite being unsuccessful, Perry was nominated by former President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Energy, a position he held for two years until his resignation in 2019.

Upon hearing news of computer engineer Perry’s candidacy for governor, some have questioned the motivations behind his run.

The Texas Republican Initiative asserted over Twitter that Perry's candidacy is a stunt to siphon votes away from Abbott. The group speculates that activists seeking to deny Abbott a third term are behind the Perry campaign.

“Now, out of desperation, they’re resorting to gamesmanship in a pathetic attempt to confuse voters,” the group tweeted.  

Joshua Blank, director of research for the polling group Texas Politics Project, believes that Perry’s candidacy will not change the state of the race.

“For this Rick Perry to benefit in a substantial way from an association with the Rick Perry, he would have to allow, invite, and probably encourage the confusion, which is unlikely to be a very good strategy,” Blank said in an interview.

Moreover, Blank sees the Rick Perry era in Texas as over, with many who voted for the former governor now supporters of Abbott. 

Over the past summer, several Republican candidates began announcing their intentions to run against Abbott in the primary election. The criticisms against the incumbent governor largely surround his response to the Covid-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020, when Abbott issued executive orders shutting down in-person gatherings and requiring masks to be worn in public to slow the spread of the virus.

The three main challengers Abbott is facing are former state Senator Don Huffines, former Texas GOP Chairman Allen West and conservative media commentator Chad Prather. According to an October poll done by the University of Texas and the Texas Tribune, Abbott holds a commanding lead over his Republican challengers. 

Candidates have until the spring to make their case to voters on why they should have their party’s nomination. Texas holds its primary elections on March 1, 2022.

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