State Sen. Kirk Watson To Resign From Senate For Academic Role

AUSTIN, TX — Sen. Kirk Watson, a former mayor of Austin who has represented District 14 in the Texas State Senate since being elected in 2006, announced on Tuesday he would step down to become the inaugural dean of the University of Houston Hobby School for Public Affairs.

Watson explained his decision — a move that took many by surprise — in a prepared statement: "I have the extraordinary opportunity to be the Founding Dean of the University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs," he said. "This is a chance to build a world-class public affairs and policy school essentially from the ground up. It is transformative work at a creative and ambitious university, located in one of the country’s largest and most diverse cities."

The Democrat expressed gratitude for Central Texas residents who have elevated him to public office, including his stint as Austin mayor from 1997 to 2001.

"I love the people of Austin and Central Texas," Watson began. "They’ve encouraged, supported and inspired me for decades. I thank them for their trust, for electing me mayor and state senator, and for allowing and inviting me, time and again, to participate and play a role in their lives. Together, we have navigated big transitions and created things that will improve the lives of Central Texans for generations. I’m proud of our many very real successes. I also have loved serving both as mayor and in the Texas Senate. Only a unique opportunity to serve this state — and a compelling platform for that service — would cause me to leave."

He explained the significant role he envisions the Hobby School of Public Affairs will have in helping to develop public policy in Texas. That potential prompted him to ultimately accept the position of dean of the fledgling school, he explained.

"The Hobby School of Public Affairs will help define and will be a leader in 21st century public policy education," Watson said. "It will significantly influence and shape public affairs discussions, activities and outcomes at every level of government and across the private and non-profit sectors. It is humbling to get to help build and shape such a transformative institution. And it is thrilling to get to do it in Houston, with its far-reaching role in health care, energy, education, culture and other areas that are central to life in Texas and beyond. The city provides a tremendous point of leverage for the school’s vision — and the urgency to realize it."

To that end, he conveyed how he informed Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday of his intention to resign from the Texas Senate effective April 30. "This should allow a reasonable amount of time before a special election and minimize the time that Senate District 14 will be without a senator," he said. "It will also give a reasonable amount of time for the next senator to prepare for the 2021 legislative session and for me to prepare to start the Fall Semester as the Founding Dean of the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston."

Since first being elected to the state senate in 2006, Watson has been reelected four times. His district represents most of Travis County and the whole of Bastrop County. In 2019, the Texas Senate elected Senator Watson to be the Senate’s President Pro Tempore for the 86th Legislature.

Among his priorities are education, health care, transportation, government transparency and state employees, as described on his Texas Senate website. He serves as vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Nominations and also sits on the committees overseeing Finance, Education, and Higher Education as well as the Sunset Advisory Commission.

His biography refers to his status as a cancer survivor as informing his legislative actions in making health care accessible to Texas residents. To that end, he has been active in numerous health organizations, including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and served on the original board of what is now known as the LiveStrong Foundation.

Among other of his key accomplishments listed are:

• In 2011, Senator Watson laid out 10 Goals in 10 Years to transform the health and economy of Austin and Travis County. His actions led to the creation of the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas and a new modern teaching and safety-net hospital, Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas. The American Medical Association recognized Watson's contribution to healthcare with the prestigious Dr. Nathan Davis Award for Outstanding Government Service in 2017.
• Building on those and other successes, Watson launched a community-based effort to develop a center for world-class brain health treatment, research and education and has been honored by the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute and NAMI Austin for his leadership.Among many other recognitions, Senator Watson has been named one of the state's "10 Best Legislators" by Texas Monthly.
• The President of the University of Texas at Austin presented him with the prestigious President’s Citation. Watson also received the Pro Texana Medal of Service from Baylor University and the Baylor Line Foundation (formerly the Baylor Alumni Association) named him a Distinguished Alumnus.
• The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas gave him its award as the Open Government Lawmaker of the Year and the Texas Press Association named him a Friend of the First Amendment for “his steadfast support of free speech and open government."
• He’s also been named Austinite of the Year by the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce and received the W. Neal Kocurek Award for Healthcare Advocacy from People’s Community Clinic.
• From 1991 to 1993, Watson served as Chair of the Texas Air Control Board, the state agency that was charged with addressing air quality in Texas. He was Vice-Chair of the committee that oversaw the consolidation of the Texas Air Control Board with the Texas Water Commission creating the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission, now known as the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
• He also has served as Chair of both the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce and the Texas Advisory Board of Environmental Defense, and he has been a member of the Executive Committee of the State Bar of Texas. He has chaired the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, the primary transportation planning agency for Central Texas.
• Sen. Watson graduated from Baylor University and graduated first in his law school class at Baylor Law School. He has been named an outstanding young alumnus of Baylor, Young Baylor Lawyer of the Year, and the Outstanding Young Lawyer of Texas.
• He is currently of counsel at the law firm Husch Blackwell LLP.Senator Watson has been married to his wife, Liz, since 1979. They have two sons, Preston and Cooper. Preston is married to Catherine Edsel Watson. Preston and Catherine are the parents of Senator Watson’s first grandchild, Effie. Preston has a BA and MBA and works in the tech industry in Austin. Cooper has undergraduate degrees in physics and mechanical engineering. He’s in a PhD program in physics.