Big Endorsement Livens Up Governor's Race

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison today picked up a giant endorsement in the race for Texas Governor, but Gov. Rick Perry still leads by far in that category.

The endorsement of Hutchison by the Texas Farm Bureau is a particularly painful slap for Perry, the former Texas Agriculture Commissioner. Kenneth Dierschke, president of the Farm Bureau’s AGFUND, said it’s time for a new face in the governor’s mansion.

"This is the most important race for governor in a long time.  For the future of Texas, we call for new leadership.  We call for new ideas and a new vision," Dierschke said. "Kay Bailey Hutchison is that leader. She has been a leader for Texas in the United States Senate and we trust her to be a Governor who will stand on principal and lead on issues like protecting private property rights."

Perry was closely tied to farm issues for many years, yet angered many rural Texans and farm leaders with his gigantic Trans Texas Corridor Plan, which among other things, included expanded powers of Eminent Domain.

That plan is now virtually dead, and Perry has quietly distanced himself from it, but lingering distrust among some in the agriculture community manifested itself today with the endorsement.

Hutchison was particularly proud to receive this endorsement.

"I am honored to have the support of Texas farmers and ranchers,” she said. “I look forward to leading the fight to protect private property rights and to reform eminent domain when I'm Governor.”

Perry and Hutchison recently traded barbs over property rights, with Perry claiming the state’s senior senator “supports the federal government taking private property from American citizens.” Hutchison shot back immediately, noting that the vote Perry cited was out of context and a number of unambiguous votes in favor of property rights were on record in her defense. Then, on Monday, she dropped the Farm Bureau endorsement, which is as strong a statement as one can make in terms of property rights.

That being said, the Farm Bureau joined Gov. Perry recently for the signing of an eminent domain reform bill which both the bureau and the governor strongly backed.

Despite Hutchison’s big win on Monday, Perry has racked up a long streak of big endorsements in recent weeks, including some agriculture-related endorsements that indicate the ag world is not quite as monolithic as Hutchison’s big announcement seemed to show.

Just last Monday, the Texas Cattle Feeders’ Association endorsed Perry for re-election, as did the Texas Poultry Federation a few days before. Perry staff have been announcing new endorsements several times a week. Hutchison has not had as many big announcements, although many more groups have yet to weigh in on the race.