Governor Rick Perry

The 2006 Race for Governor

The representatives and how they measured up

Governor Rick Perry was elevated to the position in late 2000 from Lieutenant Governor upon the election of Governor George W. Bush as President of the United States. Perry was subsequently elected Governor in 2002 and ran for a second full term in 2006. Perry's overall poll ratings have gone down since the 2002 election, plagued by budget problems, battles over school financing reform, and a redistricting battle.

Perry's approval rating dropped to 38% during the later part of the 2005 legislative. Perry then improved from this position, more recently holding a 44% approval rating, with 51% disapproving, as of a September 2006 poll. Governor Perry joined only two other Texas governors to achieve the office by a vote of less than 40%. The Texas Governor Elections of 1853 and 1861 both won with less than 40% of the vote.

Despite the weak polling numbers, Perry had the support of the Republican Party of Texas. According to Perry's campaign website, Perry gained 142 separate endorsements. Perry won re-election with 39% of the vote, leading some to think that he may have been defeated had it not been for the two independent candidates dividing the votes of those who disapproved of his leadership.

Kinky Friedman, an independent candidate, gained a good amount of popular support among Texas voters. He claimed that country-music lovers, college students, animal lovers, ranchers, and anyone who didn't vote in the last election were among his supporters, though he didn't win many of them on Election Day.

By Independence Day, Friedman passed Democrat Chris Bell in a few polls, which he didn't keep up. Friedman stated during that the campaign that he was going after the 71% who didn't make it to the polls in 2002. Friedman had been haunted recently by racially insensitive statements that were made during comedy routines twenty years ago. Although Friedman did briefly enjoy a high standing in the polls, and though much was made of his wide support among young voters, his campaign appeared to die out as Election Day drew near, and he ultimately finished a distant fourth with under 13% of the vote.

Chris Bell announced his run in July 2005, long before the other major candidates. Bell's official strategy was to get Democrats to unite behind and vote for a Democrat, predicting (and betting on)