AUSTIN — State Rep. Charles Perry is quickly consolidating the support of conservative groups in his bid for Senate District 28, aiming to cement his front-runner status ahead of the Sept. 9 special election.
The Lubbock Republican’s campaign announced Thursday that the National Rifle Association has endorsed him, citing his lifetime membership and A+ rating following the last legislative session. A day earlier, the powerful limited-government group Texans for Fiscal Responsibility threw its support behind Perry, praising him for having “effectively used his experience as a CPA to save taxpayers’ money by exposing waste, fraud and abuse in government.” Texas Right to Life, the state’s oldest anti-abortion organization, has also lined up behind Perry.
The endorsements are hardly surprising — many of the same types of groups backed Perry’s bid for the state House in 2010 — but they could make a difference as Perry looks to fend off a well-funded competitor with establishment credentials in Jodey Arrington. The former Texas Tech University System official entered the last five weeks of the race with about $230,800 in the bank compared to Perry’s $287,100, though Perry easily out-raised Arrington for the month.