Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) has added former Gov. Rick Perry to his team as a senior advisor until the next legislative session begins in January.
“Governor Perry’s legacy of service to Texas is unparalleled, and I am honored to have him join our team as we prepare for the upcoming legislative session,” Phelan said in a release.
“From his time as Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Agriculture Commissioner and State Representative, he understands every facet of the legislative process, and that will be a tremendous asset as we work to strengthen our state's economy, improve education and ensure every member’s voice is heard in the Texas House this session.”
Perry will join on a volunteer basis through the rest of the interim, coinciding with a protracted fight over the speakership itself. The former governor stumped for Phelan during the primary and runoff — which he survived by 366 votes back in May — and was the most notable surrogate for the speaker during a race where most other top Republicans either stayed out or directly targeted him.
“I’m honored to have the opportunity to support Speaker Phelan and the Texas House at such a pivotal time in our state’s history,” Perry said.
“The Texas House is not only where I began my career in public service, it’s a bedrock of balanced governance in our state — giving every voice, from the most rural to the most urban, a chance to be heard. I look forward to working with the Speaker, his team and all House members to strengthen the institution and build on its proud legacy of leadership, innovation and conservative results.”
Perry is the longest-serving governor in Texas history, having held the office from 2003 to 2015. Before that, he was the lieutenant governor and spent time in the Texas House and as agriculture commissioner. After two failed presidential bids in 2012 and 2016, Perry joined the Trump administration as Secretary of Energy until he stepped down in 2019.
He made the switch from Democrat to Republican in 1989, one of the most notable figures to flip parties in Texas history. In addition to his time spent the last couple of years on the campaign trail as a surrogate, Perry has been a large proponent of legalizing sports betting — which failed in the House last year before even reaching the less favorable Senate.
The move comes after Phelan hired lobbyist and former state representative Mike Toomey as his new chief of staff and made public his support for passing school choice next year despite spending last year in a more publicly neutral position.
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