Just when Rick Perry was feeling like governor non grata, a felony indictment accusing him of abusing his power has energized Texas conservatives.
The unified support against what the GOP claims is a political attack has returned the spotlight to the governor as he considers another White House run after he leaves office in January.
For months, the Texas GOP has largely been moving forward without Perry, and his legacy has rarely been mentioned on the campaign trail. But now, the likes of Attorney General Greg Abbott and U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn have rallied behind the governor,
Cornyn campaign manager Brendan Steinhauser says if Perry avoids conviction, he could benefit politically from the increased attention, especially from the far right.