How Rick Perry seized on — and influenced — the changing winds of Texas politics

When then-Texas Gov. Rick Perry, seen in 2014, ran for president he had to defend a bill allowing undocumented students to attend state universities or colleges at an in-state tuition rate. — Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, seen in 2014.

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In December of 2000, Rick Perry assumed the office of Texas governor, when George W. Bush resigned to become President of the United States. Perry was elected to the office for three additional terms, and his 14+ year run makes him the longest-serving governor in Texas history.

He also made several failed bids at the presidency and spent nearly three years as the U.S. Secretary of Energy during the Trump administration.

A new book from University of Houston political science professor and Party Politics co-host Brandon Rottinghaus examines Perry’s career and legacy. It’s called Rick Perry: A Political Life, and it’s out today.

In the audio above, Rottinghaus tells Houston Matters host Craig Cohen why Perry’s deserving of the biographical treatment, how he navigated shifts in Texas politics, and how his approach to the governor’s office continues to have implications today.