“Let the Texas-size political shake-up begin. With Rick Perry stepping
aside after more than a decade as governor, a host of statewide
candidates can finally try to move up. And the governor freed himself to
focus on another possible run for president.” the Dallas Morning-News reports.

Tom DeFrank:
“Rick Perry is stepping down as the longest-serving governor in Texas
history to clear the decks for a 2016 presidential campaign, according
to several well-placed Republican sources. They said Perry is stepping
down to make sure his declining popularity among Texas Republicans won’t
complicate his Oval Office ambitions.

Mark Barabak:
“Although leaving office in January 2015 could diminish his fundraising
capacity, it would also allow Perry more preparation time than he took
in the lead-up to his gaffe-filled 2012 campaign, the only election loss
of his more than three-decade-long political career.”

“Why are you late? Were you with a hooker?”

— An unidentified man, quoted by the New York Daily News, at Eliot Spitzer’s (D) first campaign appearance for New York City Comptroller.

A new Quinnipiac poll in New Jersey finds Cory Booker (D) tops the magic 50% mark in both the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate and the general election.

In a Democratic primary, Booker has 52%, followed by Rep. Frank Pallone (D) at 10%, Rep. Rush Holt (D) at 8% and Sheila Oliver (D) at 3%.

In a possible general election matchup, Booker beats Steve Lonegan (R) 53% to 30%.

Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad’s (R) campaign committee announced it has hired four campaign staffers to strategize for his re-election in 2014, the Des Moines Register reports.

Said Branstad: “Over the coming weeks and months, you will hear from our campaign team as they begin voter contact, outreach and community recruitment in a way no other Republican in Iowa has done before.”

“The campaign committee said the staffers will begin work now even though the governor does not plan to announce his intentions until next year.”

The surprise decision by former Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D) “to run for citywide office startled and galvanized the city’s political establishment, which worried aloud about handing the TV-savvy and self-financed candidate a new megaphone,” the New York Times reports.

“In candid conversations, some of the leaders expressed acute regret over their failure to swiftly undercut the mayoral campaign of former Rep. Anthony Weiner, another scandal-scarred candidate for citywide office, and said they would not make the same mistake twice.”

“Behind the scenes, they began to lay out a blueprint for undermining Mr. Spitzer’s bid for comptroller, the city’s third-highest elected office, and for propping up his lesser-known Democratic rival, Scott M. Stringer, the Manhattan borough president.”

Donald Trump released the parody video he made but never aired at the Republican National Convention.

Washington Post: “Trump says it was killed by Mitt Romney aides for being ‘too controversial.’ Romney staffers say it was simply a scheduling issue related to the tropical storm that cut the convention short.”

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“The question with both Anthony Weiner and Eliot Spitzer is, what have they been doing to earn this second chance?”

— New York mayoral candidate Christine Quinn (D), quoted by the New York Times.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) announced he would not run for re-election next year.

Stu Rothenberg says State Attorney General Greg Abbott (R) “becomes the clear favorite for the GOP nomination and for election as the Lone Star State’s next governor.”