Austin
Rick Perry is in a good mood, and it’s not just because it’s his 64th birthday. Tuesday is primary day in Texas, and for the first time in what seems like forever, his name’s not on the ballot. The office he’s made his own—with paintings of the Texas landscapes and framed photos of recent war heroes from Texas—for the last 13 years will belong to someone else next January. But Perry doesn’t sound wistful in the twilight of his term.

“Knowing when to leave is a real gift,” he says. First elected lieutenant governor in 1998, Perry became governor on December 21, 2000, after George W. Bush resigned to prepare for his presidential inauguration. He won his first full term in 2002, and won reelection 2006 and 2010, winning by double-digit margins each time. But Perry decided last year not to seek a fourth full term, giving Texas its first open gubernatorial seat in 24 years.