Perry Could Announce Candidacy this Weekend
Rumor has it that Governor Rick Perry’s trip to South Carolina this weekend will include an announcement for his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination. Photo by Jeff Heimsath for KUT News. Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Will Governor Rick Perry roll out his presidential campaign this weekend? Rumor has it his trip to South Carolina this weekend will include an announcement.
Rick Perry’s campaign team will neither confirm nor deny announcement rumors. In an email Monday, spokesman Mark Miner wrote, “The Governor is not a candidate for office at this time. Governor Perry continues to consider a potential run for The White House. Stay tuned.”
An announcement was expected shortly after Governor Perry last weekend’s prayer event in Houston.
According to Jennifer Duffy, who is with the Cook Political Report in Washington D.C., choosing to announce in South Carolina makes sense for a couple of reasons. First, it’s a way for Rick Perry to overshadow the winner of the Iowa straw poll this weekend. Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann is the front runner there. Second, Newt Gingrich’s campaign on its last legs.
“[That] means that there’s a big void for a Southern candidate, which I believe Perry would qualify as,” Duffy says. “It’s a decent audience. It’s a very conservative state. And South Carolina is very much up for grabs.”
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oh god, i hope not!