When Gov. Rick Perry leaves office in January after 14 years in power, one of his legacies will be a roster of state government overseers that harks back to a Texas of decades past.
Of the thousands of people he has appointed to boards and commissions — one of the few powers granted governors by the Texas Constitution — the overwhelming majority are white, even as the state has become much more diverse. Two-thirds are men.
The story you're reading is premium content from the Austin American-Statesman. Subscribers get total access to all our in-depth news, digital editions and exclusive premium content. You can now also buy a 24-hour digital pass or 7-day digital pass.
For Subscribers: Sign in here if you have already registered your account.
Sign InFor Subscribers: Register your account for digital access.
Access Digital
Read MyStatesman.com now — 24-hour digital pass
Read MyStatesman.com all week — 7-day digital pass
Subscribe to the Statesman for as little as 33¢ per day
By the numbers
Number of Perry appointees: 5,055
Number of those appointees who were appointed more than once: 1,896
Number of appointments made, on average, every year, between 2001 and 2013: 609
Number of people who work in the office that handles appointments: Varies, but Perry has had up to seven appointments managers, four support staff and a specifically assigned appointments director to help him select candidates for positions.
How we got this story
Reporter Asher Price and data editor Christian McDonald analyzed the results of more than a half-dozen public information requests to produce this comprehensive look at Gov. Perry’s record on appointees.
How we got this story
Reporter Asher Price and data editor Christian McDonald analyzed the results of more than a half-dozen public information requests to produce this comprehensive look at Gov. Perry’s record on appointees.
You're Almost Done!
Select a display name and password
{* #socialRegistrationForm *} {* socialRegistration_displayName *} {* socialRegistration_emailAddress *} {* traditionalRegistration_password *} {* traditionalRegistration_passwordConfirm *}Tell us about yourself
{* registration_firstName *} {* registration_lastName *} {* registration_postalZip *} {* registration_birthday *} {* registration_gender *} {* agreeToTerms *}