alternatehistory.com

Lyndon Johnson's heart attack on the campaign trail was tragic. Southern Democrats felt a similar emotion when Hubert Humphrey got nominated, and proceeded to pick another Northern liberal, Scoop Jackson, as his running mate. When Humphrey won despite Southern defections, the feeling was worse. And when they heard Republicans like Barry Goldwater talking about "states' rights"... Well, they felt very different.

Jack Cox was an oil equipment executive and former Democratic state representative who had run against Price Daniel II in the 1960 primaries. In the next two years, he had switched parties - heartened by the victory of John Tower over Jim Wright two years earlier - and begun building up his campaign infrastructure. Price Daniel losing to Don Yarborough (no relation to Ralph) was a short-term setback, but in the long run it helped him portray the Democrats as far-left. Cox's governorship was far less successful - while he was able to work with conservatives in the Legislature, his poor working relationship with the President and his failure to significantly cut spending led to his narrow defeat.

Don Yarborough. Liberal. Pro-labor. Integrationist. Plaintiff's attorney. In other words, everything the Texas establishment hated. His governorship reflected that - not in the sense that he was able to actually do anything to them, but in the sense that he wasn't actually able to do much of anything.

Hank Grover was the beneficiary of a formalized version of the Cox coalition. That, in effect, meant that the Republicans agreed to leave certain government programs alone, while the Democrats agreed not to interfere with Republican fiscal conservatism. Grover's Catholicism and personal flaws - then-Texas Secretary of State Ernest Angelo said later that Grover was "his own worst enemy. He couldn't get along, let personal things interfere in the political realm." - hurt him, but not enough to allow Tom Bass to win the Governorship. His next term, however, was dominated by a number of scandals - most notably the Sharpstown scandal. As a result, although there was no evidence of his personal involvement, Grover resigned, and was replaced by his Lieutenant Governor - who was promptly indicted, and resigned in favor of the "Bull of the Brazos", who the Senate had put forward to fill Carr's empty seat. Moore mostly stood pat, did nothing - not a tough job when your entire term is after sine die - and waited for the inevitable reformist landslide.

Frances Farenthold was the most prominent of the anti-Grover reformists, the so-called "Dirty Thirty". She won the nomination of the Democratic Party - this time the people who had walked out of the 1968 state convention in support of Grover just didn't bother showing up - and defeated reformist Republican Fred Agnich by just short of ten points. Hers was a radical administration - term limits and four-year terms for Governors, expanded state health insurance, regulations on pollution and monopoly, and ethics legislation stronger than any seen before. The Republicans - and what Conservative Democrats there still were - were up in arms, but Farenthold was broadly popular, and the opposition was bitterly divided in recriminations over the Grover years.

Price Daniel III was the son of a Governor and the great-great-great-grandson of Sam Houston. He had all of the political convictions of his predecessor, but despite four years as Lieutenant Governor, still didn't understand how to work with the Legislature. His governorship was defined, politically, by the failed second Constitutional Convention. Personally, on the other hand, it was largely defined by his rocky marriage to Vickie Moore, who he cut out of his will shortly after losing the 1982 election. Several days later, he was found dead, and Vickie Moore was seen running from the Governor's mansion.

Tom Loeffler was the Deputy Secretary of Commerce under President Bartlett. His tenure was quiet and low-profile, cutting spending and increasing drug penalties with the aid of Lieutenant Governor Tom Craddick. The 1980s oil glut and President Bartlett's unpopularity ensured him a narrow defeat.

Jim Hightower was the unabashedly liberal Agriculture Commissioner who rode a populist wave to the Governor's Mansion. As Governor, though, his autocratic style and clashes with other elected officials - including his handpicked replacement as Agriculture Commissioner, Lena Guerrero - alienated allies and led to the return of his predecessor.

Former Governor Loeffler won a rematch election in 1990. But just as Hightower's struggles with Democrats sunk his Governorship, Loeffler's clashes with conservatives in his own party, like former Lieutenant Governor and later primary challenger Tom Craddick and State House Speaker Dick Armey, defined his. And when it came time to face the Democrats, the wonkish Loeffler couldn't compete against the charming, telegenic, young, minority Mayor.

Henry Cisneros was the first non-Anglo Mayor of San Antonio since 1842, and almost universally considered one of the most effective mayors in the country. Having left elected politics in 1989 to deal with his son's heart condition, Cisneros almost refused to run for Governor, but was convinced to do so after weeks of phone calls. His tenure saw improvements in housing, labor regulations, and education funding, but after the revelation that he had been paying hush money to his former mistress, he decided not to run for a second term.

Texas Supreme Court Justice John Cornyn III was, like Loeffler, a pro-bidness moderate. Unlike Loeffler, however, he was willing and able to throw bones to the growing "Minutemen" movement of socially conservative, anti-establishment, Republicans. As Governor, Cornyn slashed taxes, reduced the size of the Texas Health Agency, banned abortion in virtually every circumstance, and deregulated state antitrust enforcement. While many Texans considered him a far-right radical, the rise in oil prices as a result of the Gulf War ensured his re-election.

David Dewhurst, millionaire oilman and Lieutenant Governor, won the 2006 election handily. Friends have reported that he wishes that election had gone differently. After Hurricane Calvin hit Texas in 2007, causing destruction from South Padre Island to Harlingen, Dewhurst's response was widely seen as lackluster and contrasted with the more effective response by FEMA. At the same time, Dewhurst's decision to order THA to comply with Doe v. Cruz, as well as his signing of HB 12 - derided as "free tuition for illegals" - led to criticism from his party's right wing. In the end, he lost the primary to a charismatic radio host from Houston, despite a number of interesting advertisements.

Dan Patrick was the kind of hard-right ideologue talk radio was notorious for. Despite never having held public office, his staunch opposition to President Lewis's "radical liberal agenda" - opposition that, to some, skirted the edges of outright racism - won him fans. And when moderate Republican candidate Will Romney needed to balance the ticket, Dan Patrick was the first and last person he turned to.

Scott Turner, the former NFL player who won a seat in the State House in 2006, was not the best-regarded Lieutenant Governor. His working relationship with the Senate was hardly ideal, with many ascribing that to inexperience with Senate traditions, ideological conflicts, or simple racism. But Turner's tenure as Governor was better-regarded - he was better able to make his case to the public, and he consequently came out ahead in his battles with the Legislature. However, when the Railroad Commission became embroiled in a price-fixing scandal, Turner voluntarily decided not to run for a second term.

David Dewhurst had had a good four years. After leaving the Governorship, he went into the private sector, earning millions of dollars as CEO of oil company InterNorth. When Scott Turner decided not to run for reelection - he would later become NFL Commissioner - Dewhurst's millions and political experience made him the natural choice. As of 2017, Dewhurst's second term seems to be going not unlike his first, with his conflicts with Speaker Matt Schaefer driving news cycles in 2015 and 2017. As the Legislature prepares for a special session over school finance, the eyes of Texas are upon them...