Texas Gov. Rick Perry will finish his last term as governor in January 2015, but it is unlikely that will be the last time he appears on the political stage.
Perry sat down with Texas Monthly to discuss his legacy in the state and his future plans. The interview appears in the magazine’s July 2014 print edition.
Author Brian D. Sweeney said, “When January 2015 rolls around, the next job people expect you to have is as a candidate for the Republican nomination for president in 2016.”
“It’s a possibility. The next job I have will be in the private sector somewhere,” Perry responded. “I have no idea what that’s going to be, but it will come before I make a decision about my political future.”
Sweeney: “But you are looking at that seriously?”
Perry: “I’m looking at both seriously.”
Sweeney went on to ask him about the difference between a potential 2016 run and his failed 2012 bid, questioning his “ability to connect with a national audience.”
“One of the things I discovered in 2011 and 2012 was that it’s very hard to do both jobs well. I’m a very focused person; I’m very curious about what’s going on in state government. You can’t be governor and run for the presidency of the United States and do both jobs justice,” Perry said. “So not having the rigors of running a state will be substantially invigorating as a candidate. You can’t parachute into the race in August of the year before the election. And even if I don’t run, the preparation – whether it is learning more about international economic issues, about domestic economic issues, about foreign policy – that’s a good process for me as I go onto that next stage in my life, whatever that may be.”
Hopefully that preparation will help Perry avoid any “oops” moments this time around.
The July edition of Texas Monthly is available now.
