Published Tuesday, December 15, 2009 7:16 AM

Kinky leaves Texas governor's race, seeks ag post

By APRIL CASTRO
Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas -- Musician and humorist Kinky Friedman said Monday he is dropping his bid to be Texas governor and will instead seek to become the state's agriculture commissioner.

Friedman, who ran for governor as an independent in 2006, says he decided to drop his gubernatorial bid after visiting with Democratic candidates Bill White and hair care magnate Farouk Shami over the weekend.

"The thought of going up against multimillionaires with only my trusty slingshot was a problem," Friedman said.

Friedman will seek the agriculture post as a Democrat, and will face Hank Gilbert, who also recently abandoned a gubernatorial bid, in the primary.

White's campaign said they would not be issuing an endorsement in that race. Shami's campaign has previously endorsed Gilbert and would not comment on Friedman's announcement.

Friedman says he's making the change "with a happy heart."

"It really is about making our government work for the people of Texas," he said. "Over the past year, even longer than that, I've been talking to Jim Hightower about what ag commissioner can do really. It's really about what you bring to the job -- you can be a corporate stooge, you can be a bureaucrat, or you can do things that haven't been done that need to be done."

As agricultural commissioner, Friedman says he would promote the development of alternative fuels with farmers' cooperatives and would try to open more animal rescue facilities like the one he runs in Medina. Friedman said he'd also like to set up a statewide public defenders office to help indigent defendants in rural communities.

Gilbert released a statement criticizing Friedman's Democratic credentials.

"Here we have a candidate who is running for office -- any office -- solely because he wants to promote his books and personal appearances," Gilbert said. "Kinky is no Democrat. If he was, he never would have stayed in the 2006 race running as an independent and denied our party's nominee a real chance at the governor's office."

Friedman said he will not endorse a Democratic candidate in the governor's race. Friedman said only that he was impressed with White and thinks the two could work well together. Friedman is longtime friends with Shami.

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