Free Republic

Perry talks up conservatism in campaign kickoff BY JOHN REYNOLDS AVALANCHE-JOURNAL Gov. Rick Perry kicked off his re-election campaign in the Hub City on Tuesday morning, saying he's the only conservative in the race for governor. "My friends, there will be only one conservative on the ballot this November," he told an enthusiastic crowd of about 100 on the Texas Tech campus. "The promise I have kept, and that I renew to you today is this - I will not only campaign as a conservative, I will continue to govern as a conservative," he said. Perry is seeking a second...

Bell predicts upset victory in state race AUSTIN (AP) - Predicting he'll stage an upset victory in the Texas governor's race next year, former congressman Chris Bell made it official Friday that he's a candidate in the March 7 Democratic primary. Bell, filing his candidacy with the Texas Democratic Party, said he feels good about his standing i n recent polls, though he acknowledged he has "a long way to go before I pull this one off." Bell, 46, served on the Houston City Council for five years and represented part of the city in the U.S. House for one...