Member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 64th district
In office January 8, 1985 – January 8, 1991
Preceded by
Joe Hanna
Succeeded by
John R. Cook
Personal details
Born
James Richard Perry
(1950-03-04) March 4, 1950 (age 74) Haskell, Texas, U.S.
Political party
Republican (since 1989)
Other political affiliations
Democratic (before 1989)
Spouse
Anita Thigpen
(m. 1982)
Children
2
Education
Texas A&M University (BS)
Signature
Website
Department of Energy website
Military service
Allegiance
United States
Branch/service
United States Air Force
Years of service
1972–1977[1]
Rank
Captain
Unit
772nd Tactical Airlift Squadron
This article is part of a series about Rick Perry
Political positions
Governor of Texas
Tenure
Trans-Texas Corridor
2003 redistricting
TETF
TTRC
Indictment and exoneration
Presidential campaigns
2012 ("Oops" moment)
2016
Secretary of Energy
Tenure
Trump–Ukraine scandal
v
t
e
James Richard Perry (born March 4, 1950) is an American politician who served as the 14th United States secretary of energy from 2017 to 2019. He previously served as the 47th governor of Texas from 2000 to 2015 and ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for President of the United States in the 2012 and 2016 elections.
Born into a family of cotton farmers in Haskell, Texas, Perry graduated from Texas A&M University in 1972 and entered into the United States Air Force, serving a five-year stint and achieving the rank of captain.[2] After leaving the Air Force in 1977, Perry returned to Texas and entered politics, serving as a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1985 to 1991. Initially a Democrat, Perry switched parties in 1989 and became a Republican, and was elected Agriculture Commissioner of Texas the following year. In 1998, Perry was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas, becoming the state's first Republican Lieutenant Governor since Reconstruction.
Perry assumed the governorship of Texas in December 2000, after Governor George W. Bush resigned following his election as President. Perry was re-elected Governor three times, becoming the longest-serving governor in Texas history. As Governor, Perry identified as a staunch conservative, enacting conservative fiscal policies, restrictions on abortion and expanded gun rights.[3][4] Long considered a potential presidential candidate, Perry officially announced his candidacy for the 2012 Republican nomination for President in August 2011. Perry initially performed well in polling and showed strong fundraising prowess, leading to him being considered a serious contender for the nomination. However, his support declined following debates and early primaries, and he withdrew from the race in January 2012.[5]
Perry declined to seek re-election to a fourth term as Governor and left office in 2015, launching a second presidential campaign shortly thereafter. Perry's second presidential campaign failed to garner substantial polling support, fundraising or media attention, leading him to withdraw from the race after only three months.[6] Perry was initially a vocal opponent of Donald Trump's 2016 campaign for President, however, he later endorsed Trump after he secured the Republican nomination.[7] After winning the presidency, Trump appointed Perry as Secretary of Energy, and he was confirmed by the United States Senate in a 62–37 vote on March 2, 2017. On October 17, 2019, Perry reported to Trump that he intended to resign as Secretary of Energy at the end of the year. He left office on December 1, 2019.[8]
^Kudlow, Larry (March 6, 2015). "Captain Rick Perry: Time for a military man in the White House?". CNBC. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
^"Candidates' Corner 2012– Rick Perry". U.S. Global Leadership Coalition | American Foreign Policy & Foreign Affairs – Usglc.org. August 13, 2011. Archived from the original on May 14, 2012. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
^"Gov. Perry Signs Landmark Business Tax Reform" (Press release). Office of the Governor. May 18, 2006. Archived from the original on August 20, 2011. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
^"Gov. Perry Signs Bills to Protect Gun Owners' Rights". Office of the Governor Rick Perry. Archived from the original on August 20, 2011. Retrieved August 14, 2011.
^Cite error: The named reference nyt120119a was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Theodore Schleifer (September 11, 2015). "Rick Perry drops out of 2016 presidential race − CNNPolitics.com". CNN. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
^Bash, Dana (May 6, 2016). "First on CNN: Rick Perry endorses Donald Trump for president". CNN. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
^Bowden, John (December 1, 2019). "Perry ends final day as Energy secretary". The Hill. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
Data from Wikidata Secretary of Energy RickPerry 2014 felony grand jury indictment RickPerry at Curlie The Perry Trap at The Austin Chronicle Collected...
The RickPerry presidential campaign of 2012 began when RickPerry, four-term Governor of Texas, announced via a spokesman on August 11, 2011, that he...
RickPerry is an American politician who served as the 47th Governor of Texas from 2000 to 2015. He was a candidate for the nomination of the Republican...
Governor RickPerry. As First Lady of Texas, she had been an active advocate for nursing and other health care issues. The Anita Thigpen Perry Endowment...
Texas, of which he was a director. In July 2013, shortly after Governor RickPerry announced that he would not seek a fourth full term, Abbott announced...
jumps ship for Romney". CNN. April 17, 2012. Retrieved April 18, 2012. "RickPerry drops 2012 campaign for president, endorses Newt Gingrich". The Politico...
Navy SEAL who previously endorsed RickPerry for president". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 19, 2016. "RickPerry 'Surrounded by Heroes' at 2016 Announcement...
eight years in office were the most served by any Texas governor until RickPerry surpassed his total in 2009. Clements was the first governor to be elected...
RickPerry, having served as the Lieutenant Governor of Texas for one year, succeeded to the office of Governor of Texas on December 21, 2000, when Governor...
Governor RickPerry impeded the investigation by replacing three of the nine Forensic Commission members to change the Commission's findings; Perry denies...
Williams, and was notable for being the first to include Texas Governor RickPerry, who attracted attention for stating his belief that "Social Security...
presidential campaign of RickPerry, the 47th Governor of Texas, was officially launched on June 4, 2015. This campaign constituted Perry's second consecutive...
On August 15, 2014, Texas Governor RickPerry was indicted by a Travis County grand jury, but has since been cleared on all charges. The first charge of...
Carolina State Senate RickPerry (James Richard Perry, born 1950), American politician James De Wolf Perry (1871–1947), bishop James Perry House, historic house...
13, 2016, RickPerry, former Governor of Texas, was selected to be the Secretary of Energy. During a previous presidential campaign, Perry said he intended...
40th lieutenant governor of Texas, after previous Lieutenant Governor RickPerry replaced George W. Bush, who resigned to become president of the United...
Governor Chris Christie, and Texas Governor RickPerry, the last of whom decided to run in August 2011. Perry did poorly in the debates, however, and Herman...
Coy Luther "Luke" Perry III (October 11, 1966 – March 4, 2019) was an American actor. He became a teen idol for playing Dylan McKay on the Fox television...
to natural gas. The phrase originated from a speech made by Secretary RickPerry in Brussels earlier that month. Washington Governor Jay Inslee decried...
regretted. He supported John McCain in the 2008 election, and supported RickPerry in the 2012 election. In 2016 and 2020, he endorsed and voted for Donald...
acquired SemGroup for $5 billion. In January 2020, former Energy Secretary RickPerry rejoined the company's board. In August 2023, it was announced Energy...
Names, but many local names remained unchanged. In October 2011, while RickPerry was running for president of the United States, controversial reports...
Millstein, Seth (February 6, 2019). "How Is The Designated Survivor Chosen? RickPerry Won't Be At The 2019 SOTU". Bustle. CBS News reports that the president...
21, 2031 surpassing the 14 years of his predecessor, former Governor RickPerry. Greg Abbott, incumbent governor Eric Johnson, mayor of Dallas and former...
worked for President Ronald Reagan, Senator Robert Dole and Governor RickPerry. She was also an adviser to Scott Walker's presidential campaign. Maseng...
2001 Admiral in the Texas Navy Certificate Award from Texas Governor RickPerry for outstanding achievements in bodybuilding and for the promotion of...
Global Information
United States
United States Air Force
Captain
