Longtime Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, a political conservative, announced his candidacy for governor on Sunday.
Abbott’s move came less than a week after Gov. Rick Perry said he would not seek another term in Austin, clearing a potential path, some say, for him to run for president.
Abbott made the announcement in San Antonio, a decision that many expected as he has already raised tens of millions for the race.
“When it comes to our freedom and our future, I will never - I will never stop fighting," he said.
First elected attorney general in 2002, Abbott has defended socially conservative causes during his tenure. These include pushing for the display of a Ten Commandments monument of the grounds of the Texas Capitol in 2005.
He also has sued the Obama administration more than 25 times, including case that led to the landmark Supreme Court decision on the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, last year.
So if anything, Texas will become even more reactionary, more theocratic, more fringe, and more hateful under Abbott. Awesome. Also, it's funny how the federal government wasn't worth suing until January 20, 2009. Odd how that works out.