Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert on Wednesday endorsed Republican Gov. Rick Perry for re-election.
The Dallas Morning News described it as a “rare display of public partisanship for Leppert,” and said it marked the first time he’s endorsed a candidate for major office. The DMN also noted that Leppert may run for U.S. Senate in 2012, when Perry presumably might return the favor.
Leppert has been generally supportive of the LGBT community and has an openly gay chief of staff, Chris Heinbaugh. However, Leppert is also a member of First Baptist Church of Dallas, which is led by anti-gay Senior Pastor Robert Jeffress.
Perry, meanwhile, is virulently anti-gay and spearheaded Texas’ 2005 constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. Leppert says his decision to endorse Perry was based on their shared views about economic development and job creation.
Instant Tea asked Heinbaugh on Thursday what he thinks about the endorsement.
“I’m not going to comment on it,” Heinbaugh said. “It’s his business what he wants to do.”
The Mayor endorsed the man who told me to move to a more lenient state if I supported gay marriage? THAT Rick Perry?
Why would Mr. Heinbaugh have anything to say about the endorsement? It’s like asking someone what they think of their fat boss ordering a diet coke with their KFC Double Down chicken sandwich. You do what you gotta do, and I do what I gotta do.
Chris Heinbaugh and Tom Leppert are two different people. It would make more sense to ask Heinbaugh who he is endorsing/voting for, and to speak to Leppert (who has missed the Pride Parade 2 yrs in a row due to…well, whatever) and get more in depth reporting done. Bad article! Sounds more like you’re trying to put the Mayor’s Chief of Staff at odds with his boss. You might as well delete this piece of journalism failure from the website!