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Texas GOP Chairman Talks About Governor Perry's “Big News”

rickperry.org

Gov. Rick Perry is set to make a big announcement in San Antonio this coming Monday, but those close to him are cautious about the intention of his visit.

At the start of the special session, Perry said he wouldn’t announce whether he would seek another term as governor until after the legislature had adjourned.

"Now the fact that the announcement is next week and not after the legislature has adjourned leaves open the possibility that he may be announcing something else," said Steve Munisteri, the chairman of the Texas Republican Party.

"I think just because everybody is so interested in what he’s going to do people assume the announcement is going to be on running for governor, but I wouldn’t be totally shocked if the announcement was something else," he said.

Munisteri said he also wouldn't be surprised if Perry did announce he was running for governor, but that a lot of other people’s plans are contingent on Perry's decision.

"There’s this long line of dominos that will fall on way or the other once Governor Perry makes a final decision on what he does, and I would presume once Governor Perry makes his announcement there’s going to be a whole slew of announcements," Munisteri said.

One of those waiting on Perry’s future plans is Attorney General Greg Abbott, who is planning on a run for lieutenant governor but would be a prime candidate for the governorship if Perry were step down for a presidential run.

Munisteri said the fact that the announcement is next week leads him to believe that Perry’s big news is something other than the governorship. 

Some believe he will be using the event to counter last week's national spotlight on state filibuster-star Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth.

"I don’t buy that. I mean, if you look at just the PPP poll yesterday -- and that's a Democratic-leaning polling outfit -- I mean, they have Wendy Davis losing to Perry by 14 points, and from my point of view that's at the zenith of where Wendy Davis would be," Munisteri said.

Perry is the longest serving governor in the state and nationwide, he will be speaking this Monday, July 8, in San Antonio.

Ryan started his radio career in 2002 working for Austin’s News Radio KLBJ-AM as a show producer for the station's organic gardening shows. This slowly evolved into a role as the morning show producer and later as the group’s executive producer.