Not only do I like his hair care products, I admire his moxie. The Texas governor’s race just got a whole lost more interesting for me yesterday when Farouk Shami–inventor of the CHI flat iron and founder of Farouk Systems, Inc.–declared he will enter the race for Texas governor as a Democrat.

Think he’s nuts? Well, his other opponents in the Democratic primary include a former U.S. Ambassador and Kinky “If You Can’t Beat ‘Em Join ‘Em” Friedman who previously ran as an independent candidate. On the other side of the fence, Governor Good Hair Rick Perry and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison who likely uses some of Shami’s products on her own hair (you can’t get that shine and stiffness naturally). And with the Republicans fighting like school children over a dodge ball at recess (”No! Rick these voters are mine! …”I don’t care if Dick Cheney endorsed you Kay! I still want Texas to secede,”) their distractive and destructive behavior could spell good news for Democrats. Shami, 66, is independently wealthy and wants to finance his own campaign (Mayor Bloomberg in NYC did the same), wants to take $1 for a governor’s salary (Rick Perry takes $115,00 a year), moved his company’s overseas jobs back to Texas and makes you feel pretty. Not mad. Not secessionist.  “I pay $40 million in taxes,” Farouk, a Palestinian whose family  has worked to bring peace and assistance to the Middle East, said in an interview in 2008. “I hope I’m a good citizen. I’m proud of what I’m doing. I’m living the American dream and sharing it by creating jobs.”  As I am married to a Middle Easterner and I love his natural products including Bio Silk, I just may have found my new favorite candidate in Farouk. Besides, the Texas governor’s powers are weak at best and his position is more of a state spokesperson than ball buster (that’s the Lt. Governor’s role). I haven’t really like a Texas governor since Ann Richards (and Kay is no Ann!) For every Texas girl who has tamed her kinky, curly mess down with a flick of the flat iron, you have Farouk to thank. So why not vote for him?