Rick Perry

Brandon Rottinghaus is a professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Houston. His most recent books are Inside Texas Politics, Current Debates in the Lone Star State, and Inside American Government. He is also the cohost of Party Politics, a TV8 show, a radio program on KUHF, and a podcast on Houston Public Media.

• 1. A Political Rebirth at the Dawn of the Modern Texas Republican Party 2. The House Years, 1984–1990: Democrat from “The Big Empty” 3. Republican Agricultural Commissioner, 1991–1998: “Jane Fonda–That Was Stretching It” 4. Lieutenant Governor, 1998–2001: “Together We Can--Junto Podemos” 5. Governor, 2001–2002: Into the Governor’s Mansion and the First Gubernatorial Campaign 6. First Full Term, 2003–2006: The 2003 Session and the Democratic Walkout 7. The 2005 Session and 2006 Election: “Governor 39 Percent” 8. The 2007 and 2009 Sessions and the 2010 Election: No Mood for Compromise 9. The 2011 Session and the 2012 Presidential Election: “I can’t . . . Oops” 10. The 2013 Session, Indictment, and the 2016 Presidential Race: “Answer to No One” 11. An Underestimated Political Rebirth 12. Legacy and Impact Acknowledgments Author Interviews Notes Index

In a sprawling new biography, Rick Perry: A Political Life, Brandon Rottinghaus revives the long, large, and colorful tale of Perry’s rise and reshaping of Texas politics. . . . This blend of in-the-moment color and retrospective helps provide some depth to Perry’s trajectory; longtime Texas political junkies and newer Lege students alike will benefit from the detailed recounting. (Texas Observer)