Rick Perry, the man in charge of America’s nukes, weighs in on Texas A&M student election

Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, the man in charge of America’s supply of nuclear weapons, took the time Wednesday to criticize Texas A&M’s election for student body president.

Perry’s complaint was about the process by which Bobby Brooks, who would become the first openly gay student president in the university’s history, won the election last month. Brooks finished 750 votes behind Robert McIntosh, the son of a prominent GOP fundraiser, but McIntosh was disqualified after he was found to violate a campaign finance rule over some glow sticks used in a campaign video. McIntosh had overcome an earlier disqualification stemming from anonymous charges of voter intimidation when the Student Government Association’s Judicial Court dismissed those complaints after an investigation.

Perry, the former governor of Texas, is an alum of Texas A&M and a two-time Yell Leader, an elected position equivalent to head cheerleader. He wrote an op-ed in Wednesday’s Houston Chronicle accusing A&M’s Student Government Association of potentially stealing the election for the “principle of diversity.”

Perry’s essay made it clear he was not objecting to Brooks on the grounds he is gay, writing: “When I first read that our student body had elected an openly gay man, Bobby Brooks, for president of the student body, I viewed it as a testament to the Aggie character. I was proud of our students because the election appeared to demonstrate a commitment to treating every student equally.”

But “Brooks did not win the election,” wrote Perry. “He finished second by more than 750 votes to one Mr. Robert McIntosh. However, McIntosh was disqualified by the SGA Election Commission and Judicial Court through a process that — at best — made a mockery of due process and transparency. At worst, the SGA allowed an election to be stolen outright.”

The secretary of energy’s inserting himself into the campus issue was unexpected from the university’s perspective

“Honestly, we were just surprised to see that the secretary of energy would take the time to weigh in in detail and we respectfully disagree with his assessment of what happened,” said Amy Smith, the school’s senior vice president of marketing and communication, in an interview with the Texas Tribune. “His understanding of the election rules of student body president elections doesn’t reflect the facts.”

The election results and subsequent disqualification that occurred in late February have been prominently covered in the Battalion, the university’s campus newspaper. McIntosh’s campaign manager wrote in the paper this week that he was proud of their work, while the editor in chief of the paper discussed the importance of Brooks’ win for representation on what he described as a “historically anti-LGBT university.”

McIntosh was surprised but pleased to receive Perry’s support, telling the Battalion:

“I did not at all expect his editorial and I’m humbled to have his support. He made a compelling case which I fully support and continue to fight for. Our campaign team won the election and was subsequently disqualified unfairly. Diversity, at its heart, is equal treatment of all, and we hope this situation is resolved in a way that ensures a fair and more transparent process now and in future elections.”

Considering the student judicial court’s decision was unanimous, Smith told the Tribune the administration sees no need to intervene. Per the Battalion, “A&M faculty play no part and do not interfere with the elections of either members of student government or the position of Yell Leader.”

Perry was a somewhat controversial choice as head of the Department of Energy, having said during a 2011 presidential debate that he wanted to eliminate it and — per a New York Times report — not fully understanding the responsibilities of the department. Perry’s predecessor, Ernest Moniz, was a physicist with a PhD from Stanford.

“This confirmation process has been extremely informative and beneficial for me,” said Perry during his hearing, citing his conversations with Moniz. He was confirmed by a Senate vote of 62-37 on March 2.