Latino officials give Perry a subdued greeting

June 22nd, 2011 Sienna Muriel Leave a comment Go to comments

SAN ANTONIO – Gov. Rick Perry, who is nearing a decision on a presidential run, drew a tepid response Thursday as he reached out to Hispanics at a national gathering of Latino officials and political leaders.

After his address at the 28th annual conference of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, Perry told the Star-Telegram that he is continuing to eye a potential 2012 bid for the White House.

“I’m still giving it good cogitation,” he said.

Perry spoke for nearly 13 minutes, touting his record of Hispanic appointments and striking familiar themes about Texas job growth and the state’s robust economy. The more than 600 Hispanic leaders applauded politely after the address. A few stood, but the remainder stayed seated.

The subdued reception underscored Hispanic discontent toward Perry’s inclusion of a controversial “sanctuary city” bill in the Texas Legislature’s special session, which ends next week. The bill – which threatens local governments with the loss of state aid if they prevent officers from asking about immigration status – has been approved by the Senate and faces an uncertain future in the House.

Hispanics have also criticized Perry for his embrace of another hot-button measure that requires voters to show photo identification before casting ballots. The bill passed the Republican-led Legislature in the regular 140-day session that ended May 30, and Perry signed it into law.

“Gov. Perry is a phenomenal politician, and he can campaign like no other, but you’ve got to get beyond the person,” said Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, chairman of the state’s Mexican-American Legislative Caucus, who addressed the conference earlier Thursday.

“Latino voters will look at action but not words. When Latinos scrutinize the actions that have been taken in this state, they’ll look for another choice,” Fischer said.

But Rep. Aaron Pena, R-Edinburg, a Perry supporter who introduced the governor to the audience, said earlier speeches at the conference have may set a tone of “doom and gloom” that influenced Perry’s reception. He also acknowledged that Perry’s appearance came at a “very sensitive moment” because of the upcoming House committee vote on the sanctuary city bill.

Record turnout ahead?

Hispanics’ importance in the unfolding presidential race was evident in a study released by the nonpartisan association in advance of Perry’s appearance. Latinos are expected to turn out in record numbers in 2012, with at least 12.2 million casting ballots. The Latino vote will increase 26 percent from 2008, and Latinos will account for at least 8.7 percent of the country’s voters, according to the study by the association’s Educational Fund.

Nationally, the Hispanic population grew from 35.3 million to 50.5 million from 2000 to 2010, an increase of 43 percent. The growth among Hispanics accounted for 56 percent of the nation’s total population growth over the past decade, according to census numbers.

Perry, the state’s longest serving governor, has begun taking a serious look at the race after months of effectively ruling himself out as a likely candidate. Some political operatives in Austin are convinced Perry has already made the decision to enter the race, but the governor and his staff insist he’s still pondering.

With his animated delivery, telegenic looks and anti-Washington message, Perry is a proven crowd-pleaser at Republican gatherings and is drawing increased encouragement to enter the Republican presidential field. A rousing speech over the weekend at the Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans prompted chants of, “Run, Rick, run.”

Hispanic appointments

In his San Antonio address, Perry stayed away from polarizing themes and never mentioned the sanctuary cities bill, immigration or the border. But he praised Hispanic contributions and said “the future of Texas is tied directly to the future of our Hispanic population,” noting that Latinos constitute more than a third of the state’s residents.

Perry said he has made historic strides in naming Hispanics to state boards and commissions, including the appointments of the first Latinas to the state’s top two courts — the Texas Supreme Court and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals — as well as to the secretary of state’s post. He also noted that he named Jose Cuevas as chairman of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, an appointee whose name bears striking similarities to the popular tequila Jose Cuervo.

“That is the right job for that man,” Perry quipped.

Perry also said that Hispanic ownership of Texas businesses has shown “explosive growth,” boosting the Texas economy and providing jobs for thousands of Texans. “The future of this state is incredibly bright because of men and women like you,” Perry said.

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