Gov. Rick Perry’s inner circle has evolved significantly since he was first elected to the Texas House in 1984. He changed parties, for one thing, becoming a Republican and shucking one political infrastructure for another. And he changed offices, moving from the House to the Texas Department of Agriculture, from there to the lieutenant governorship and from there, with the election of George W. Bush to the presidency in 2000, into the office he holds today.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/31/us/31ttperryweb.html?hp
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