Fighting Chances: Senate Races to Watch

People vs. PACs
Texas Observer
May 30, 2008

“Toxic Mike” and Mike “No Action” Jackson are just a few of the names Houston state Sen. Mike Jackson’s detractors have hurled his way over the years. Democrats believe his coziness with industry and the low profile he has maintained during his nine-year Senate tenure have made him vulnerable to challenge. In particular, they point to his Senate Bill 1317, which prevented the city of Houston from using nuisance ordinances to regulate toxic emissions. Jackson’s maneuver angered residents of Houston, some of whom live in his Senate District 11, who are weary of living downwind of refinery pollution.

The Democrat who might be able to crack Senate District 11 is Joe Jaworski. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Joe is the grandson of Leon Jaworski, the special prosecutor appointed to investigate Watergate. A 46-year-old, gregarious attorney who looks younger than his years, Joe Jaworski says residents in the district are sick of legislators like Jackson who care more about special interests than about their constituents.

Jaworski is confident he can win the historically Republican district that incorporates refinery row in parts of Brazoria, Harris, and Galveston counties. In an election year in which incumbents, particularly Republican incumbents, are on the defensive, Jaworski hopes to ride the wave of change into the Texas Senate. “More than being Republican or Democrat, voters are interested in what a candidate brings to the table,” he says. “Voters want change.”

An energized Democratic presidential race won’t hurt, either. And for the first time in more than a decade, George W. Bush won’t be on the ballot as president or governor in Texas. “There’s a real disappointment with the one-party political system in Texas,” Jaworski says.

It takes more than pocket change to win a Senate race. They now average $1 to $2 million dollars per candidate. Jaworski’s fundraising prowess has made naysayers take notice. He raised a quarter-million dollars for the Democratic primary. And he is on target to raise a million for the general election, he says. A two-term Galveston City Council member, Jaworski believes he’s ready for the big league. As for Jackson, he says in an e-mail that he is taking Jaworski’s challenge very seriously. As of January, Jackson had already raised nearly $1 million. (Jackson has received a contribution from a board member of Observer publisher, The Texas Democracy Foundation.)

A good deal of Jackson’s money is linked to chemical and energy corporations like Dow Chemical Co. and CenterPoint Energy Inc. Jackson says he doesn’t see a problem with taking the contributions because they represent thousands of individuals who live and work in his district. “A portion of the money donated to my campaign comes from political action committees to which individual employees voluntarily contribute,” he says.

“He’s got a million dollar head start,” says Jaworski. “But money won’t be the deciding factor in this race.” Jaworski plans on reaching out to Senate District 11 residents in a grassroots campaign. To learn more about what’s on voters’ minds, he’s mailed out 80,000 questionnaires. He reads some voter concerns over the phone: the Trans–Texas Corridor, the rising cost of health insurance, and decreasing air quality. “This campaign will be about us getting out into the community and really listening. Once they realize we are there to listen, I think they will respond,” he says. —Melissa del Bosque

Posted on May 30, 2008 | Return to the Latest News Archive