Governor and Republican presidential front-runner Rick Perry may not attend Wednesday’s GOP candidates debate because of the massive Texas wildfires ravaging his state.
Speaking on The Early Show, Governor Rick Perry said he could not commit to the debate while the Texas wildfires are currently raging uncontained. Perry has already cancelled several campaign appearances so he could return home to oversee the fight against the Texas wildfires.
“I don’t know,” Perry said on The Early Show when asked if he will be at the GOP debate, scheduled for 8PM ET on Wednesday at the Ronald Reagon Presidential Library in California. “[The wildfires] a fluid situation at the moment, so again I go back to we’re going to be taking care of the folks here,” Perry said. “I got a great team of people to work with. That’s one of the things I’ve been blessed with for 10 years.”
Rick Perry has vaulted to the top of many national polls since he announced his run for the presidency last month. Wednesday’s GOP debate would be his first since he began his campaign. The debate is co-hosted by Politico and NBC.
More than 100,000 acres have burned in the latest round of Texas wildfires and more than 1,000 homes have been destroyed. Most of the destroyed structures are in Bastrop County about 25 miles from Austin, Texas.