Let’s return to those thrilling days of yesteryear when the Lone Ranger rode again. The time was 1978 and the election year in Texas. A republican and not been elected governor in over 100 years and an oil drilling contractor named Bill Clements was their candidate. I lived in Hillsboro at the time, and he came to a political rally and there were all of 5 people there. I visited with him for a few minutes and as he left I felt sorry for him as he appeared on a hopeless quest. At the same time a young obscure candidate named Phil Gramm, an A&M economics professor, was running for Congress.
Running for reelection as Governor was Dolph Briscoe, considered as the father of the farm to market road system in Texas, and he was challenged by Attorney General John Hill former chief justice of the Texas Supreme in the democratic primary. Hill was considered from the liberal wing of the party and was the underdog in the race. However, times were changing and the party was shifting to the left and surprisingly Hill won and was the overwhelming favorite to be the next governor of Texas. At the time it was said that Texas was so democratic a state that a yellow dog called a democrat could win an election and sometimes did, as Ma and Pa Ferguson demonstrated.
In the November election, the conservative wing of the democratic party for the first time voted republican and Bill Clements narrowly became governor. This started a shifting trend that has continued for 50 years. It will be interesting to see if that trend continues this November in the senatorial race.
