Kirk Watson
54th and 59th Mayor of Austin
Assumed office
January 6, 2023
Preceded bySteve Adler
In office
June 15, 1997 – November 9, 2001
Preceded byBruce Todd
Succeeded byGus Garcia
President pro tempore of the Texas Senate
In office
January 8, 2019 – May 27, 2019
Preceded byRobert Nichols
Succeeded byJoan Huffman
Member of the Texas Senate
from the 14th district
In office
January 9, 2007 – April 30, 2020
Preceded byGonzalo Barrientos
Succeeded bySarah Eckhardt
Personal details
Born
Kirk Preston Watson

1958 (age 65–66)
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseLiz McDaniel
Children2
EducationBaylor University (BA, JD)

Kirk Preston Watson (born 1958)[1][2] is an American attorney and politician who has served as the 59th mayor of Austin, Texas since 2023, previously holding the office as the 54th mayor from 1997 to 2001.[3] A member of the Democratic Party, he ran unsuccessfully for Texas Attorney General in the 2002 election, when he was defeated by Republican Greg Abbott, later governor of Texas. In 2006, Watson was elected to the Texas Senate from District 14.

In 2011, Watson was chosen by his Democratic colleagues to chair the Senate Democratic Caucus and served until 2015.[4] On the first day of the 86th Legislature, he was chosen by his colleagues—Democrats and Republicans—to serve as president pro tempore. The position typically goes to the most senior member, regardless of party, who has not yet served as President Pro Tem, and is second in line of succession to the Governor.[5]

It was announced by the Austin American-Statesman that Watson planned to resign from the Texas State Senate to become the first dean of the University of Houston's Hobby School of Public Affairs.[6] His resignation was effective April 30, 2020.[7] With incumbent Mayor Steve Adler not seeking another term, Watson entered the race to become Austin mayor for a second time. He was elected for his second stint as mayor in the 2022 Austin mayoral election runoff with 50.4% of the vote.

Early life and education

Watson was born in Oklahoma City and raised in Saginaw, Texas, a suburb of Fort Worth, where he attended Boswell High School.[8] He received a bachelor's degree in political science in 1980 and a Juris Doctor in 1981 from Baylor University in Waco, Texas.[9] At Baylor Law School, Watson was editor-in-chief of the Baylor Law Review and graduated first in his class.[10] He subsequently clerked for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.[9]

Early political career

Watson was elected president of the Texas Young Lawyers Association in 1990[11] and served on the executive committee of the State Bar of Texas. Watson was an active Democrat throughout the 1990s and served as the chairman of the Travis County Democratic Party.

In 1991, Watson was appointed by Governor Ann Richards to serve as chairman of the Texas Air Control Board, the state agency that was charged with protecting air quality in Texas. During his tenure, he worked to merge the agency with the Texas Air Control Board and the Texas Water Commission to form the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission, and oversaw implementation of the 1991 amendments to the federal Clean Air Act.

In 1994, he was named the Outstanding Young Lawyer of Texas.[10] In 1997, Watson co-founded the Austin law firm of Watson Bishop London & Galow, creating a broad law practice that represented families, doctors, small businesses, and some of the state's major universities.

First term as Mayor of Austin (1997–2001)

In 1997, after Watson moved from Rollingwood to Austin, he was elected mayor of Austin, a nonpartisan position. He ran on a pledge to build consensus in a city that was then dominated by political battles between environmentalists and developers. He campaigned to raise more than $78 million for land preservation and $300 million for transportation improvements. Watson's signature accomplishments as mayor included the transformation of Downtown Austin into a "24-hour downtown" by encouraging development of housing and retail in place of vacant warehouses and parking lots, partially through tax incentives and the city's Smart Growth initiatives.[12]

In 1999, Watson spearheaded a redevelopment project along several blocks of waterfront property in Downtown Austin, in an effort to create a new public-private "digital district" in place of dilapidated warehouses and businesses including the former Liberty Lunch, which were demolished.[13] Watson, along with architect Larry Speck, courted the Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) by offering a $10.4 million tax incentive to anchor two office buildings on the site in lieu of building their planned campus in a watershed, and under the condition that CSC foot the bill for a new city hall building.[14] The first two buildings were constructed and are now part of the Second Street District, while CSC vacated the premises before following through with the construction of the present-day Austin City Hall.[15]

In 2000, Watson spearheaded a $15.1 million tax incentive for Intel to build a new headquarters in Downtown Austin; Intel stopped construction and the unfinished building was demolished in 2007 and replaced by the Austin United States Courthouse.[15][16]

In 2000, Watson was reelected with 84% of the vote – the highest percentage a mayoral candidate has ever received in Austin. In November 2001, he stepped down to run unsuccessfully for Texas Attorney General in the 2002 election, losing 41% to 57% to now-Governor Greg Abbott.[17] In 2005, he served as chairman of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce.

Texas Senate (2007–2020)

Watson in 2012

Watson was elected to the Texas Senate in November 2006, succeeding Senator Gonzalo Barrientos. He received more than 80 percent of the vote.[18] Watson was unopposed in the March 2006 Democratic Primary.[19]

He served as vice-chairman of the Senate Transportation and Homeland Security committee, as well as on the Senate Business and Commerce, Economic Development, Jurisprudence, and Nominations committees. In 2008, he was appointed as one of two senators to the state Business Tax Advisory Committee.

Watson has become a prominent voice on transportation, clean energy, and higher education issues, and he has campaigned to widen transparency in the state's finances and increase health coverage for Texans, particularly children. In 2009, he led the fight against a budget rider that would have effectively banned embryonic stem cell research at Texas universities. The rider ultimately was not adopted.[20]

Watson served on many committees including the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO), of which he is the former Transportation Policy Board Chairman. CAMPO is federally designated as the primary transportation planning organization in Central Texas.[21]

The July 2007 Texas Monthly magazine recognized Watson as "Rookie of the Year" for the 2007 session of the Texas Legislature. In 2009, the magazine named him one of the state's 10 Best Legislators.[22] He also was given the Price Daniel Award for Distinguished Public Service by the Baylor Alumni Association, and the Excellence in Leadership Award by Concordia University, Texas.

Watson considered running in the 2010 race for governor, but in August 2009 decided to instead seek re-election to the Texas Senate.[23]

In June 2013, Watson moved to overturn a ruling designed to end the filibuster of Senator Wendy Davis. Together, their efforts averted the passage of SB5, a bill that its opponents claimed would enact severe abortion restrictions in Texas.[24][25] Instead, in a second special session the same bill was passed (96 to 49) by the Texas House,[26] and then (19 to 11) by the Texas Senate,[27] and then signed into law by Gov. Perry less than a month later.[28] State Rep. Charles "Doc" Anderson of Waco (Texas HD 56) told reporters following the Davis filibuster that the additional special session might "cost taxpayers more than $800,000."[29] Another news organization estimated special-session costs at roughly $30,000 per day.[30]

In the general election on November 6, 2018, Watson easily won reelection, 274,122 (74.1 percent) to 96,355 (25.3 percent) for his Republican opponent, George W. Hindman. A Libertarian Party candidate, Micah M. Verlander, held another 10,838 votes (2.8 percent).[31]

In 2019, Watson proposed a series of money-raising maneuvers to fund the lane expansion project along I-35 through Austin, including doubling the state gas tax, raising vehicle registration fees in Travis County, enacting a special sales tax, and issuing bonds.[32]

Watson resigned from the Texas State Senate on April 30, 2020, to become the first dean of the University of Houston's Hobby School of Public Affairs. Watson resigned from the University of Houston after less than 1 year to become a candidate for Mayor.[33]

Controversies

Texas highways

Much of Watson's first year in office was spent mediating a long, very bitter dispute on the CAMPO board over highway improvements in the Austin area. While many of the improvements had been in transportation plans for years, they had never been constructed. A lack of transportation funding, affecting projects across Texas, had led previous boards to support plans that would toll the additional capacity as well as nearly completed projects, sparking intense opposition throughout the region.

Upon being elected chairman by the rest of the board in January 2007, Watson led the effort to keep the controversial projects in the region's transportation plan. He then spearheaded a public effort to create a process that would allow policy makers and the public to analyze the need for transportation projects, mechanisms to pay for them, and potential public benefits from them.

On October 8, 2007, the CAMPO board overwhelmingly approved a plan to add new toll lanes to several existing highways (U.S. Highway 290, U.S. Highway 183, and State Highway 71).

Most of the improvements were approved on a 15-4 vote, and none were opposed by more than five board members. The board was heckled with shouts of "Political suicide!" and catcalls.[34]

2008 Chris Matthews interview

Following Senator Barack Obama's victory in the 2008 Wisconsin Democratic Primary Election on February 19, 2008, Watson appeared via live feed on MSNBC's election night coverage as a supporter of Senator Obama, whom Watson had endorsed. During the interview, Chris Matthews asked Watson to name one of Senator Obama's legislative accomplishments. A five second delay from the live feed caused confusion amongst Chris Matthews and Kirk Watson. After Watson was unable to list one of Obama's accomplishments, Matthews responded, "You've supported him for president, you're on national television, name his legislative accomplishments, Barack Obama's, sir."[35] After Watson was excused, Matthews commented, "He [Watson] is here to defend Barack Obama and he had nothing to say; that's a problem."[36]

Second term as Mayor of Austin (2023–present)

Election

Watson declared his candidacy for the 2022 mayoral election. In the November 8 general election, he advanced to a runoff election against Celia Israel.[37] On December 13, 2022, Watson won the runoff election with 57,346 votes (50.39%) to his opponent Israel's 56,460 votes (49.61%).[38]

Tenure

Shortly after beginning his second term as mayor of Austin, Kirk Watson faced significant criticism for his handling of and communications about long-term power outages in the city after a record-breaking ice storm on February 1, 2023, resulted in tens of thousands of city residents going without electricity for up to 12 days.[39]

In February 2023, Watson led an effort to terminate City Manager Spencer Cronk, who was fired in a 10-1 vote by City Council. The decision came following the city's response to the winter storm, as well as Cronk's decision to announce a four-year contract with the Austin Police Association — against the wishes of City Council to vote on a one-year contract amid negotiations.[40] The council appointed Jesús Garza — a previous city manager during Watson’s previous tenure as mayor, and manager of the Stand Together Austin political action committee that supported Watson's mayoral campaign.[41]

In March 2023, amid staffing shortages, 911 response delays at the Austin Police Department, and a viral spree of street racing incidents in which cop cars were harassed with live fireworks,[42] Watson reached an agreement with Governor Greg Abbott and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick to deploy the Texas Department of Public Safety troopers to patrol Austin, drawing scrutiny from some city council members who were left out of conversations prior to the announcement.[43]

Electoral history

2022

2022 Austin mayoral runoff
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Kirk Watson 57,346 50.39
Nonpartisan Celia Israel 56,460 49.61
Total votes 113,806 100
2022 Austin mayoral general election[44]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Celia Israel 121,862 39.99
Nonpartisan Kirk Watson 106,508 34.95
Nonpartisan Jennifer Virden 56,189 18.44
Nonpartisan Phil Campero Brual 7,295 2.39
Nonpartisan Anthony Bradshaw 7,102 2.33
Nonpartisan Gary Spellman 5,781 1.90
Total votes 304,737 100

2018

Texas general election, 2018: Senate District 14[45][46]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Kirk Watson 276,052 71.93 -8.05
Republican George W. Hindman 96,834 25.23 +25.23
Libertarian Micah M. Verlander 10,889 2.84 -17.18
Majority 179,218 54.75 -5.21
Turnout 383,775 46.61 n/a
Democratic hold

2014

Texas general election, 2014: Senate District 14[47]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Kirk Watson 154,391 79.98 -0.31
Libertarian James Arthur Strohm 38,648 20.02 +0.31
Majority 115,743 59.96 -0.62
Turnout 193,039 n/a n/a
Democratic hold

2012

Texas general election, 2012: Senate District 14[48]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Kirk Watson 212,527 80.29 +19.56
Libertarian Ryan M. Dixon 52,187 19.71 +16.10
Majority 164,578 60.58 +35.52
Turnout 264,714 n/a n/a
Democratic hold

2010

Texas general election, 2010: Senate District 14[49]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Kirk Watson 115,949 60.73 -19.59
Republican Mary Lou Serafine 68,100 35.67 +35.67
Libertarian Kent Phillips 6,884 3.61 -16.07
Majority 47,949 25.06 -35.57
Turnout 190,933 n/a n/a
Democratic hold

2006

Texas general election, 2006: Senate District 14[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Kirk Watson 127,223 80.32 +27.61
Libertarian Robert "Rock" Howard 31,180 19.68 +15.51
Majority 96,043 60.63 +51.05
Turnout 158,403 -12.29
Democratic hold

2002

Texas general election, 2002: Texas Attorney General[50]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Greg Abbott 2,542,184 56.72 +2.46
Democratic Kirk Watson 1,841,359 41.08 -3.1
Libertarian Jon Roland 56,880 1.26 -0.3
Green David Keith Cobb 41,560 0.92 +0.92
Majority 700,825 15.63
Turnout 4,481,983
Republican hold

2000

2000 Austin mayoral election[51]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Kirk Watson 29,777 84.03
Nonpartisan Leslie A. Cochran 2,755 7.77
Nonpartisan Dale A. Reed 1,662 4.69
Nonpartisan Jennifer L. Gale 1,244 3.51
Total votes 38,166 100

1997

1997 Austin mayoral election[52]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Kirk Watson 30,278 48.47
Nonpartisan Ronney Reynolds 24,915 39.89
Nonpartisan Michael "Max" Nofziger 5,966 9.55
Nonpartisan Jennifer L. Gale 420 0.67
Nonpartisan Kirk Becker 361 0.57
Nonpartisan Ray Blanchette 197 0.31
Nonpartisan Ted Kircher 165 0.26
Nonpartisan John Johnson 154 0.24
Total votes 62,840 100

A majority is usually required to win a mayoral election in Austin, and if no candidate receives more than 50 percent in the general election, a winner is usually determined in a runoff election. However, on May 5, 1997, two days after the general election, candidate Ronney Reynolds, a two-term council member, withdrew from the runoff resulting in Watson's election as mayor.[53]

Personal life

Watson is married to Elizabeth Anne "Liz" McDaniel and is the father of two sons.

Notes

  1. ↑ "Kirk Watson (D)". Texas State Directory. January 6, 2023. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Kirk Watson's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  3. ↑ What kind of mayor was Watson Ken Martin, ed., October 24, 2022
  4. ↑ Mike Ward, "Democrat leader in Senate to leave post", San Antonio Express-News, October 10, 2015, p. A4
  5. ↑ Lindell, Chuck (January 8, 2019). "Austin's Kirk Watson elected Senate president pro tem". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  6. ↑ Pollock, Cassandra (February 18, 2020). "State Sen. Kirk Watson to retire from Texas Senate". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  7. ↑ Goudeau, Ashley (April 30, 2020). "State Sen. Kirk Watson headed to University of Houston". KVUE. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  8. ↑ Watson, Kirk. "MEET KIRK". kirkwatson.com. Archived from the original on February 22, 2019. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  9. 1 2 "Pro Texana, Medal Of Service: Sen. Kirk Watson". Baylor Magazine. Fall 2010. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  10. 1 2 Hunt, Alan (April 22, 2005). "Kirk Watson To Speak At Baylor Law Graduation April 30". Baylor.edu. Baylor University. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  11. ↑ "TYLA 80th Anniversary – 1930-2010". Texas Young Lawyers Association.
  12. ↑ Clark-Madison, Mike (November 23, 2001). "Cast a Big Shadow". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  13. ↑ Parker, Mike (July 30, 2014). "When Liberty Lunch was the place". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  14. ↑ Yetmen, Canan (July 20, 2016). "Pygmalion City". Texas Architect. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  15. 1 2 Smith, Amy (July 6, 2001). "Isn't It FABulous?". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  16. ↑ Smith, Amy (April 20, 2001). "Deconstructing Downtown". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Race Summary Report - 2002 General Election". Texas Secretary of State. November 5, 2002. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  18. 1 2 Office of the Secretary of State. "Race Summary Report; 2006 General Election". sos.state.tx.us. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  19. ↑ Office of the Secretary of State. "Race Summary Report; 2006 Democratic Primary Election". sos.state.tx.us. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
  20. ↑ "The Dark Rider | Texas Senator Kirk Watson". Archived from the original on April 12, 2009. Retrieved November 10, 2009.
  21. ↑ CAMPO Board members Archived July 31, 2012, at archive.today
  22. ↑ http://www.texasmonthly.com/preview/2009-07-01/feature2
  23. ↑ "Austin news, sports, weather, Longhorns, business | Statesman.com". Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
  24. ↑ Texas Senate Livestream 83(3). YouTube. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021.
  25. ↑ Hoppe, Christy (June 26, 2013). "Still disputed whether SB5 vote met midnight deadline". Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on June 26, 2013. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
  26. ↑ MacLaggan, Corrie (July 10, 2013). "Texas House OKs bill restricting abortions, moves it to Senate". Reuters News Service.
  27. ↑ MacLaggan, Corrie (July 13, 2013). "Texas passes abortion restriction bill, governor certain to sign". Reuters News Service.
  28. ↑ Blake, Aaron (July 18, 2013). "Perry signs Texas abortion bill into law". The Washington Post.
  29. ↑ Elizondo, John (June 26, 2013). "2nd special session could cost taxpayers additional $800K". KXXV-TV, News Channel 25 (Waco). Archived from the original on November 10, 2014. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
  30. ↑ Brooks-Harper, Karen (July 17, 2013). "Lawmakers pass abortion, juvenile justice bills with time running out in second special session". Community Impact Newspapers (Texas). Archived from the original on July 17, 2014. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
  31. ↑ "Election Returns". Texas Secretary of State. November 6, 2018. Archived from the original on November 10, 2018. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  32. ↑ Price, Asher (February 26, 2019). "Watson seeks funds for I-35 expansion". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  33. ↑ "Ex-Austin mayor Kirk Watson's pandemic reckoning changes priorities". statesman.com. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  34. ↑ Austin-American Statesman "Board approves five new toll roads"
  35. ↑ Wonkette (with video)
  36. ↑ "Texas-Observer". Archived from the original on February 26, 2008. Retrieved February 20, 2008.
  37. ↑ "Austin mayor's race: Celia Israel and Kirk Watson headed to a runoff".
  38. ↑ Fechter, Joshua (December 13, 2022). "Austin voters elect Kirk Watson, who served as mayor two decades ago, to lead the city again". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  39. ↑ "99.9% of Austin Energy customers have power; nearly 300 continue to deal with outages".
  40. ↑ Fechter, Joshua (February 15, 2023). "Austin's city manager fired over botched winter storm response". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  41. ↑ Thompson, Ben (February 15, 2023). "Council fires Austin City Manager Spencer Cronk; Jesús Garza appointed as interim manager". Community Impact. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  42. ↑ "Chaotic Austin 'street racing incidents' Saturday night fuel local policing discourse". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  43. ↑ Cobler, Nicole; Price, Asher (March 28, 2023). "Texas DPS troopers to patrol Austin streets". Axios. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  44. ↑ "Results". Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  45. ↑ Office of the Secretary of State. "Race Summary Report; 2018 General Election". sos.state.tx.us. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  46. ↑ Office of the Secretary of State. "County by County Canvass Report; 2018 General Election". sos.state.tx.us. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  47. ↑ Office of the Secretary of State. "Race Summary Report; 2014 General Election". sos.state.tx.us. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  48. ↑ Office of the Secretary of State. "Race Summary Report; 2012 General Election". sos.state.tx.us. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  49. ↑ Office of the Secretary of State. "Race Summary Report; 2010 General Election". sos.state.tx.us. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  50. ↑ "2002 General Election". Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved December 15, 2006.
  51. ↑ Office of the City Clerk. "Election History". AustinTexas.gov. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  52. ↑ Office of the City Clerk. "Election History". AustinTexas.gov. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  53. ↑ de Marban, Alex; Duff, Audrey (May 9, 1997). "Mayor: What, Me Negative?". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
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