Antonio Rodolfo "Tony" Sanchez Jr. (born February 3, 1943) is an American businessman and former politician. He is a member of the Democratic Party. In 2002, Sanchez ran an unsuccessful campaign as the Democratic nominee for Governor of Texas against Republican incumbent Rick Perry. Sanchez is also known for his successful oil, natural gas, and banking operations, which are based in Laredo, Webb County, Texas. Early life and education Sanchez, a descendant of Tomás Sánchez, was born on February 3, 1943, in Laredo, Texas, and attended to Saint Mary's University in San Antonio, where he earned a B.A. degree (1965) and J.D. (1969). He was a member of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission from 1985 to 1991. He also served on the University of Texas at Austin Board of Regents from 1997 to 2003. Oil and gas business Participating in the oil and gas brokerage business that he and his father, Antonio Rodolfo Sanchez Sr., founded, Sanchez immediately envisioned expansion of the family business beyond a small operation into the larger scope business of oil and gas exploration, development, and production. Tony's father agreed; and in 1973, the father and son duo, along with their partner, Brian E. O'Brien, drilled a successful exploratory well in Webb County. This initial well started the development of the largest pool of natural gas found in the United States in 30 years. Three decades after drilling its first well and participating in the drilling of over 1,000 wells in Texas and other states, the Sanchez Oil & Gas Corporation remains active in exploration and development, with operations concentrated in Texas. Sanchez serves on the Conoco board of directors and is an active member of a number of organizations: the American Petroleum Institute, the Independent Petroleum Association of America and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission. In 1994, he was appointed to the National Petroleum Council, which advises the United States Secretary of Energy. 2002 Texas gubernatorial campaign In March 2002, Sanchez, then a member of the University of Texas Board of Regents from 1997 to 2003, defeated former state Attorney General Dan Morales for the Democratic nomination for governor. Later, Morales endorsed Sanchez's Republican opponent, Rick Perry. Morales' brother was imprisoned for having attempted to blackmail Sanchez in the primary campaign. Morales himself went to prison for wrongdoing in connection with the state tobacco settlement. During Sanchez's campaign to unseat Perry, the