George W. Bush as Governor of Texas
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| George Walker Bush | |
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47th Governor of Texas
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| In office January 22, 1995 – December 21, 2000 |
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| Lieutenant | Bob Bullock (1995–1999) Rick Perry (1999–2000) |
| Preceded by | Ann Richards |
| Succeeded by | Rick Perry |
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| Born | July 6, 1946 New Haven, Connecticut |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Laura Bush |
| Residence | Crawford, Texas |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Religion | United Methodist |
| Signature |  |
George W. Bush served as the 47th Governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000.
[edit] Campaign
With his father George H. W. Bush's election to the United States presidency in 1988, speculation had arisen among Republicans that George W. Bush would enter the 1990 Texas gubernatorial election. This was offset by Bush's purchase of the Texas Rangers baseball team and personal concerns regarding his own record and profile. Following his success as owner and manager of the Rangers, Bush declared his candidacy for the 1994 election, even as his brother Jeb first sought the governorship of Florida. Winning the Republican primary easily, Bush faced incumbent Governor Ann Richards, a popular Democrat who was considered the easy favorite, given Bush's lack of political credentials.
Bush was aided in his campaign by a close coterie of political advisors that included Karen Hughes, a former journalist who was his communications advisor; Joe Allbaugh, who became his campaign manager, and Karl Rove, a personal friend and political activist who is believed to have been a strong influence in encouraging Bush to enter the election. Bush's aides crafted a campaign strategy that attacked Governor Richards' record on law enforcement, her political appointments, and her support of liberal political causes. Bush developed a positive image and message with themes of "personal responsibility" and "moral leadership." His campaign focused on issues such as education (seeking more accountability for schools over student performance), crime, deregulation of the economy, and tort reform. The Bush campaign was criticized for allegedly using controversial methods to disparage Richards. Following an impressive performance in the debates, however, Bush's popularity grew. He won with 52 percent against Richards' 47 percent.[1]
[edit] Governorship
As governor, Bush successfully sponsored legislation for tort reform, increased education funding, set higher standards for schools, and reformed the criminal justice system. Under his leadership, Texas executed 152 prisoners, more than under any other governor in modern American history; critics such as Helen Prejean argue that he failed to give serious consideration to clemency requests.[2] Seeking to reduce high property taxes to benefit homeowners while increasing general education funding, Bush sought to create business taxes, but faced vigorous opposition from his own party and the private sector. Failing to obtain political consensus for his proposal, Bush used a budget surplus to push through a $2 billion tax-cut plan, which was the largest in Texas history and cemented Bush's credentials as a pro-business fiscal conservative.[3]
Bush also pioneered faith-based welfare programs by extending government funding and support for religious organizations providing social services such as education, alcohol and drug abuse prevention, and reduction of domestic violence. As governor, he reached out to religious leaders such as Kirbyjon Caldwell (who would later offer the official benediction at Bush's presidential inauguration). He signed a memorandum on April 17, 2000 proclaiming June 10 to be Jesus Day in Texas, a day where he "urge[d] all Texans to answer the call to serve those in need."[4] Although Bush was criticized for violating the constitutional separation of church and state ("Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…"), his initiative was popular with most people across the state, especially religious and social conservatives.
During his tenure, Bush signed the execution warrants for more death row inmates than any other Governor in the history of Texas, averaging a death every nine days.[5] The only death penalty case among the 153 that came across George W. Bush's desk in his tenure as Texas Governor in which Governor Bush intervened and commuted the death sentence was that of serial killer Henry Lee Lucas.
In 1998, Bush won re-election in a landslide victory with nearly 69 percent of the vote, becoming the first Texas governor to be elected for two consecutive terms since before 1975.[6] Within a year, he had decided to seek the Republican nomination for the presidency.
[edit] References
- ^ Wayne Slater, James Moore (2003). Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Presidential. USA: Wiley, 210.
- ^ The New York Review of Books: Death in Texas.
- ^ Wayne Slater, James Moore (2003). Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Presidential. USA: Wiley, 233–36.
- ^ Texas State (2005-03-11). Jesus Day (JPEG). Texas State Archives. PBS. Retrieved on 2006-06-30.
- ^ "The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins, Bantam Press,London, 2006 p291
- ^ Associated Press. "Texas Gov. George W. Bush wins in landslide", CNN, 1998-11-03. Retrieved on 2006-06-30.
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