Rick Perry Biography Quotes 65 Report mistakes

Early Life and Education
James Richard Rick Perry was born on March 4, 1950, in Haskell, Texas, and grew up in the rural community of Paint Creek. Raised in a West Texas farming and ranching family, he learned early the routines and risks of agriculture and small-town life. He became an Eagle Scout, a distinction that reflected both community engagement and persistence. Perry attended Texas A&M University, where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets and served as a yell leader, building a reputation for discipline and school spirit. He graduated in 1972 with a degree in animal science, an academic path consistent with his upbringing and later public persona as a proponent of agriculture and rural enterprise.

Military Service
Upon graduation, Perry was commissioned into the United States Air Force. From 1972 to 1977 he served as a pilot, flying C-130 tactical airlift aircraft and attaining the rank of captain. His service took him across the United States and overseas, an experience he later cited as formative for his views on leadership, logistics, and national security. After completing his active duty, he returned to Texas to work in the family farming and ranching operation, integrating military-honed management skills with the practical demands of agricultural life.

Entry into Texas Politics
Perry entered elective politics in the 1980s, winning a seat in the Texas House of Representatives and beginning service in 1985. He initially identified as a Democrat, reflecting the prevailing alignment of many rural Texas voters at the time. Over the course of the decade he gravitated toward limited-government and pro-market positions; in 1989 he formally switched to the Republican Party, a move emblematic of the broader partisan realignment then reshaping Texas politics.

Statewide Office: Agriculture Commissioner
In 1990 Perry won election as Texas Agriculture Commissioner, defeating an incumbent from the opposite party. He was re-elected in 1994. In that role he worked on issues ranging from trade promotion and consumer protection to pesticide regulation and rural economic development. As Agriculture Commissioner he served during the gubernatorial administrations of Ann Richards and then George W. Bush, building bipartisan working relationships even as the state moved decisively toward Republican leadership. The statewide platform introduced him to business leaders, farm organizations, and regulatory stakeholders who would remain central to his political coalition.

Lieutenant Governor and Ascension to Governor
Perry ran for lieutenant governor in 1998 and narrowly defeated Democrat John Sharp, a seasoned statewide officeholder. He took office alongside Governor George W. Bush. When Bush resigned after winning the U.S. presidency, Perry, as lieutenant governor, ascended to the governorship in late 2000. He was subsequently elected in his own right in 2002 and re-elected in 2006 and 2010, ultimately becoming the longest-serving governor in Texas history.

Governor of Texas: Policy, Growth, and Controversy
Perry emphasized job creation, low taxes, and regulatory restraint. He championed tort reform and promoted the Texas Enterprise Fund and the Emerging Technology Fund to attract investment and incubate innovation. During his tenure, Texas experienced robust population and employment growth, fueling the narrative of a Texas Miracle that he advanced in speeches and in his book Fed Up! He worked with allies across the business community and with Republican leaders in the legislature, while frequently clashing with Democrats over spending priorities and social policy.

The governorship also brought controversy. A divisive 2003 congressional redistricting battle, which drew in national figures such as Tom DeLay, hardened partisan lines. A 2007 executive order to require an HPV vaccine for school-aged girls prompted a backlash and was overturned by the legislature. His Trans-Texas Corridor transportation proposal met sustained public opposition and was ultimately abandoned. In 2013, after State Senator Wendy Davis staged a high-profile filibuster, Perry signed a sweeping abortion law that galvanized both supporters and opponents nationwide. During periods of drought and wildfire he oversaw emergency responses, and in 2014 he authorized the deployment of the Texas National Guard to the southern border amid concerns about migration and security. That same year he was indicted by a Travis County grand jury on charges related to a veto dispute; in 2016 the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals dismissed the case, ending the legal matter. He left office in January 2015 and was succeeded as governor by Greg Abbott.

National Profile and Presidential Campaigns
Perry's national ambitions emerged as his profile grew. He sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, entering the race to significant attention. Early momentum faded after uneven debate performances, including the widely noted oops moment in which he failed to recall the third federal department he proposed eliminating. He suspended his campaign and endorsed Newt Gingrich. Perry ran again in 2016 but exited early and endorsed fellow Texan Ted Cruz, reflecting ongoing ties within the Texas Republican network and the broader conservative movement.

U.S. Secretary of Energy
In 2017 President Donald Trump nominated Perry to serve as U.S. Secretary of Energy, and he was confirmed by the Senate. At the Department of Energy he advocated an all-of-the-above energy strategy, emphasizing the reliability of the electric grid, expansion of U.S. liquefied natural gas exports, and continued support for research in nuclear, fossil, and renewable technologies. His tenure coincided with debates over grid resilience, cybersecurity, and the role of federal subsidies in electricity markets. He resigned in 2019, closing a chapter that was notable for the irony that, in 2011, the Department of Energy was one of the agencies he had once proposed to eliminate.

Personal Life and Legacy
Perry is married to Anita Thigpen Perry, a nurse who as First Lady of Texas championed health and education initiatives. They have two children, Griffin and Sydney. Family, faith, and his West Texas roots have been central to his public identity, shaping his rhetoric and policy preferences and informing a political style that blends populist themes with pro-business priorities.

Over a career spanning decades, Perry moved from rural legislator to statewide executive and national cabinet official. He worked with, and often against, prominent figures including Ann Richards, George W. Bush, John Sharp, Wendy Davis, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Bill White, Greg Abbott, and Donald Trump. His legacy in Texas centers on economic growth strategies, aggressive use of gubernatorial powers, and a talent for coalition-building within a rapidly changing political landscape. Nationally, he is remembered both for high-profile stumbles and for the durability that carried him from the statehouse to the federal cabinet, with a network of political allies and rivals that reflects the breadth of modern Republican politics.

Our collection contains 65 quotes who is written by Rick, under the main topics: Witty One-Liners - Justice - Leadership - Learning - Freedom.