The race to replace retiring Rep. John Davis is of particular interest to me because I live in Texas House District 129. I had the opportunity to sit down with Brent Perry and discuss his candidacy for the district.

 

Background

Perry grew up in the Baytown/Highlands area, graduating from Baytown Lee in 1982. After high school, he attended Baylor University, graduating in 1986. He then went to law school at the University of Chicago, graduating in 1989. It was in Chicago that he met his future wife, Carole, who was a graduate student in journalism at Northwestern University.  Brent and Carole celebrated their 24th anniversary on December 30th. They have three children, Jackson, Julianne, and Rebecca. They are members of University Baptist in Clear Lake.

Professional Life

After law school, Perry worked for Judge Ricardo Hinojosa for a year in McAllen, Texas. He told me that he chose that job so that he could immerse himself in the border culture and revive his Spanish speaking skills. Next he worked for Baker Botts and then Bracewell for about five years. In 1997 he and a couple of associates formed their own law firm, which lasted for seven years. He then worked with Harris County Republican Party Chair Jared Woodfill’s firm Woodfill and Pressler before setting up the sole practice that he runs today.

Political Experience

In 1996 he ran for Congress in District 25, winning the primary with 66{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986} of the vote. Because of a court ruling (Bush v. Vera) that changed the district boundaries after the primary, the results of the primary were thrown out and a free for all election was held in November of that year, with eleven candidates (eight Republicans, two Democrats, and one other candidate)  vying  for the position. Perry came in fourth in that race with 13{997ab4c1e65fa660c64e6dfea23d436a73c89d6254ad3ae72f887cf583448986} of the vote, which was ultimately won in a runoff by incumbent Rep. Ken Bentsen (D). 

Perry has also done work for former Rep. Jack Fields and former House Majority Leader Tom Delay. He has been the trustee of the Tom Delay Defense Fund since 2000.

Political Philosophy

A self described conservative, Perry told me that his desire is to impact public policy to make life better for the people around him. The most important thing for government to be is predictable, so that the economy can grow. His remark reminded me of Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst saying in 2012 that the uncertainty surrounding Obamacare was keeping companies from investing in the marketplace and preventing the economy from fully recovering. Perry also talked about the need to be very careful during our current economic “good times” in Texas not to expand current government programs or initiate new ones because those programs will grow over time and become a hindrance to  economic growth and will be a burden in bad times.

Religious liberty is one of his passions and he has worked on a number of cases protecting our freedoms.

Issues

Perry thinks that the biggest challenge for the legislature will be to come up with a stable way to finance our public education system. He served on the Clear Creek ISD Financial Committee and knows first hand the financial struggles that school districts face.

He also thinks that the relationship between the Port Commission and the Legislature must be improved so that the port can continue to have a positive impact on our economy, especially given that NASA is shrinking its impact on the district. In a similar vein, it is critical for HD129 that our petrochemical industry be supported by reducing permitting wait times for new construction and improvements.

Contact Information

Facebook: BrentPerry129

Website: BrentPerryforTexas.com