The Texas Tribune provides details:
Jeff Boyd, chief of staff to Gov. Rick Perry, is the governor’s choice for an open spot on the Texas Supreme Court.
He’ll replace Dale Wainwright, who resigned from the state's highest civil court earlier this year. The appointment is subject to Senate confirmation.
“Jeff
is a highly-respected attorney who has consistently excelled throughout
his years of private practice, his terms of public service, and his
leadership of important charitable organizations. His addition to the
court will continue to protect the rule of law and further the tradition
of defending the freedoms that Texans so vigorously uphold,” Perry said
in a news release.
The Tribune provides additional context here, including the observation that Perry has now appointed seven of the nine members of the court.
Does this mean that Perry has been able to control the court through his appointment powers? Here's a story that builds on a point we make when we cover the Texas Judiciary. While they are elected to office, it is customary for judges and justices to step down early so that the governor can fill vacancies with people of their choosing, and since judicial races are generally non-competitive and people know little about the candidates, those appointees tend to be easily elected to full terms.
This raises a provocative question: Does the Texas governor fully control the judicial branch? Do we have a functioning system of separated powers in the state?
