The mad mad mad dash for the governor's mansion

Keeping up with the cues and miscues in the race for Texas governor is the forté of SMU Political Scientist Cal Jillson, one of the nation's foremost political experts and author of The American Dream.

Whether it's been the unexpected emergence — and then stumble — of Debra Medina in the Republican Party party battle between political titans Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and incumbent Gov. Rick Perry, or the strange fight between former Houston Mayor Bill White and Houston hair care magnate Farouk Shami, Jillson's expertise has been relied upon:

"(Perry's) way of being governor … is to govern with an eye always on the Republican primary,” Jillson told The Houston Chronicle. “You can easily summarize Perry's record by saying: Most Texans don't expect much from their state government, and that's what he's given them.”

Other SMU political experts:

Rita Kirk

Dennis Simon

Matthew Wilson

Rita Kirk
With changes in political communication such as YouTube and other Internet trends, Kirk’s knowledge of the evolving communication landscape has made her a valuable source. She has the ability to adapt to story topics and specializes in political and persuasive campaigns.

Dennis Simon
A leading expert on politics and women, Simon is co-author of Breaking the Political Glass Ceiling: Women & Congressional Elections. A political science professor, Simon specializes in public opinion, elections and political polls.

Matthew Wilson
With a diverse knowledge of U.S. and Texas politics, Wilson specializes in religion and politics and can also speak to public opinion, elections and political psychology. His forthcoming book is The Blame Game: Political Sophistication and the Politics of Attribution.

# # #