Richard Murray on political strategy
From Richard Murray Discusses Rebuilding Political Parties in Texas and the Role of the Governor's Office · · Texas Politics Project
“But for the Democratic Party to become competitive, by far their best opportunity is in governor elections.”
On , Richard Murray, President & Chief Banking Officer at SOUTH STATE CORP, spoke about political strategy during Richard Murray Discusses Rebuilding Political Parties in Texas and the Role of the Governor's Office on Texas Politics Project.
About Richard Murray
In a 2014 discussion, Richard Murray argued that winning gubernatorial elections is the most viable path for a minority party to become competitive, citing the example of Texas. He stated that "the minority party very often wins governorships" and described the office as "the easiest office to capture." Murray noted that voters tend to view the governor as a CEO and hold them accountable, and he said that the Texas governorship has become "significantly more powerful" over time, making it "uniquely important for a minority party to build on" due to appointee powers. He credited former Governor Bill Clements with using those powers effectively to build the state Republican Party and concluded that "there can't be a competitive Democratic Party in Texas until the party recaptures the governorship." In a 2010 interview, Murray, then executive director of the Ohio School Facilities Commission, responded to an Inspector General report that found he had abused his authority. He said he accepted the factual events cited in the report but disagreed with the conclusion that his conduct was unprofessional or that he abused his authority. Murray rejected an allegation that he attempted to trade concerns about a school district's site for a project labor agreement, stating, "I simply reject the allegation that I attempted to do that." He acknowledged his union background but maintained that he did not promote union or nonunion labor in his role.