Jim Mattox
Encyclopedia
James Albon Mattox was a Dallas lawyer
and Texas
Democratic
politician
who served three terms in the United States House of Representatives
and two four-year terms as state Attorney General
, but lost high profile races for Governor
in 1990, the U.S. Senate in 1994, and again as attorney general in 1998. He was known as the "people's lawyer" because of his advocacy of what he deemed the needs of everyday Texans.
and was then elected from an East Dallas district to the Texas House of Representatives
. As a state legislator, Mattox developed an interest in ethics reform and open government.
Considered a political liberal
Mattox was elected to Congress from the Fifth Congressional District
in 1976, 1978, and 1980. In his first election, running on the Jimmy Carter
-Walter F. Mondale ticket, he defeated the Republican
Nancy Judy, 67,871 (54 percent) to 56,056 (44.6 percent). The incumbent
Republican Alan Steelman
ran unsuccessfully that year for the U.S. Senate that year against the Democratic incumbent
Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr.
In 1978 and 1980, Mattox was hard pressed by Thomas W. "Tom" Pauken, a staunchly conservative
Dallas Republican attorney, who later became the state Republican chairman. In their first battle, Mattox drew 35,520 votes (50.3 percent) to Pauken's 34,672 (49.1 percent). In 1980, Mattox received 70,892 votes (51 percent) to Pauken's 67,848 (48.8 percent). Pauken then joined the transition team of President-elect Ronald W. Reagan.
, who was elected governor in a stunning upset of incumbent Republican Bill Clements
of Dallas. Nineteen eighty-two was the last year in which Texas Democrats swept all statewide races on the ballot. To win the nomination for attorney general, Mattox defeated fellow Democrat Max Sherman
, a former state senator and former president of West Texas A&M University
. Mattox then easily defeated the Republican State Senator William C. "Bill" Meier
of Euless
in Tarrant County, a former Democrat, who holds the filibuster
record—43 hours—in the Texas Senate.
In 1983, Mattox was indicted for "commercial bribery" and prosecuted by Travis County
District Attorney
Ronnie Earle
, a Democrat close to the late Governor Ann W. Richards. Earle later prosecuted the Republican congressional leader Tom DeLay
. Like the DeLay prosecution, the political background of the Mattox prosecution related to an attempt to conceal the delivery of corporate funds to an election campaign. Mattox had received a campaign contribution of $125,000 from his sister Janice, a Dallas lawyer. Janice Mattox in turn had obtained a similar amount from Seafirst Bank in Seattle
, which had close ties to Mattox supporter Clinton Manges
, a controversial South Texas
rancher-oil
man who was the successor to George Parr, the corrupt "Duke of Duval". Manges was co-plaintiff
with the state (represented by Mattox) in major litigation against Mobil Oil Company. Mobil had attempted to depose Janice Mattox concerning the Seafirst transaction, which led Mattox to threaten Mobil's law firm, Fulbright & Jaworski
, with loss of its tax-exempt bond practice, a power held by the attorney general in Texas. Secretly recorded by the recipient of the threats, Mattox did not deny threatening the law firm, nor did he deny the Seafirst transactions, his defense being based on the legal definition of the crime of "commercial bribery." After a long trial, Mattox was acquitted.
In 1986, Mattox was narrowly reelected attorney general with 53 percent of the statewide vote; he beat back an unusually strong Republican opponent in San Antonio
, lawyer Roy Barrera, Jr.
, who garnered 45 percent of the vote. In that election, many Hispanic
voters supported the Democrat Mattox, rather than the Republican Barrera. As attorney general, Mattox highlighted the state's accelerated efforts to help mothers collect child support from divorce
d or unwed fathers. His aggressive attacks on alleged wrongdoing by corporations gained him considerable popular support.
In 1989, Mattox was inducted into the Hall of Fame of his alma mater, Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas, Texas.
Ann Richards
, had used cocaine
and was a recovering alcoholic who might falter in handling the strains associated with being governor. Mattox went into a runoff election with Richards because the third contender, former Governor Mark White, polled enough votes to keep both Mattox and Richards from winning an outright majority. Richards went on to win the nomination and the election, very narrowly, over Republican business
man Clayton Wheat Williams, Jr.
, of Midland
.
, who had been a Ross Perot
operative in the 1992 presidential election. Fisher was also the son-in-law of former Third District
Republican Congressman James M. Collins
of Dallas. Collins lost the 1982 senatorial general election to Lloyd Bentsen. Fisher was then defeated in the November 1994 general election by the freshman Republican Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
.
In 1998, Mattox tried to return to the attorney general's position, but lost the general election
to Republican John Cornyn
, a former member of the Texas Supreme Court
. Cornyn polled 2,002,794 votes (54.25 percent) to Mattox's 1,631,045 ballots (44.18 percent). (A third candidate received 1.56 percent.) Cornyn had defeated two other candidates for the Republican nomination as attorney general, outgoing Texas Railroad Commissioner Barry Williamson
and Mattox's old rival, Tom Pauken. Cornyn became the first Republican ever elected as attorney general of Texas. Four years later, Cornyn vacated that office to become one of Texas's two U.S. senators.
's unsuccessful bid for the Democratic presidential nomination
. He died eight months thereafter at the age of 65 in his sleep at his home in Dripping Springs
in Hays County
east of Austin. The cause of death was unknown. In addition to his sister, he was survived by his wife, Marta K. Mattox (born February 26, 1955), and their two children, Jim "Jimmer" and Janet "Sissi" Mattox, and younger brother Jerry Mattox
Chuck McDonald, the Richards spokesman during the 1990 gubernatorial primary described Mattox as "the original maverick. He prided himself on being the voice of the little guy and took on every big-money interest group he could find. As a political rival, he was as tough as they came. He never backed down from a fight, and he made all the candidates stronger."
Garry Mauro
, the Texas land commissioner from 1983-1999 who was defeated for governor in 1998 by George W. Bush
and who later managed Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in Texas, described Mattox as a man "pounding on the table for the people. Anybody that thinks of Jim Mattox and doesn't think of the 'people's lawyer' really didn't know him. He never saw a fight he'd walk away from."
Mattox's body laid in repose at the Texas House of Representatives
chamber inside the Texas Capitol Rotunda on Monday, November 23, 2008. Funeral services were held on Tuesday, November 24, 2008 at the First Baptist Church, 901 Trinity Street in Austin. He is interred at the Texas State Cemetery
, 909 Navastoa Street in Austin.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who served three terms in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
and two four-year terms as state Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
, but lost high profile races for Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
in 1990, the U.S. Senate in 1994, and again as attorney general in 1998. He was known as the "people's lawyer" because of his advocacy of what he deemed the needs of everyday Texans.
Congressional service, 1977-1983
Mattox began his political career as the assistant district attorney in Dallas CountyDallas County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,218,899 people, 807,621 households, and 533,837 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,523 people per square mile . There were 854,119 housing units at an average density of 971/sq mi...
and was then elected from an East Dallas district to the Texas House of Representatives
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
. As a state legislator, Mattox developed an interest in ethics reform and open government.
Considered a political liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
Mattox was elected to Congress from the Fifth Congressional District
Texas's 5th congressional district
-References:*...
in 1976, 1978, and 1980. In his first election, running on the Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
-Walter F. Mondale ticket, he defeated the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Nancy Judy, 67,871 (54 percent) to 56,056 (44.6 percent). The incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
Republican Alan Steelman
Alan Steelman
Alan Watson Steelman is a Dallas businessman who was a Republican congressman from Texas between 1973 and 1977; at the time of his election, he was the youngest sitting member of Congress. He gave up his Fifth Congressional District seat to challenge Democratic incumbent Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr., in...
ran unsuccessfully that year for the U.S. Senate that year against the Democratic incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr.
In 1978 and 1980, Mattox was hard pressed by Thomas W. "Tom" Pauken, a staunchly conservative
American conservatism
Conservatism in the United States has played an important role in American politics since the 1950s. Historian Gregory Schneider identifies several constants in American conservatism: respect for tradition, support of republicanism, preservation of "the rule of law and the Christian religion", and...
Dallas Republican attorney, who later became the state Republican chairman. In their first battle, Mattox drew 35,520 votes (50.3 percent) to Pauken's 34,672 (49.1 percent). In 1980, Mattox received 70,892 votes (51 percent) to Pauken's 67,848 (48.8 percent). Pauken then joined the transition team of President-elect Ronald W. Reagan.
Attorney General 1983-1991
In 1982, Mattox did not seek reelection to his redistricted House seat, but was instead elected statewide to succeed the outgoing attorney general Mark Wells White of HoustonHouston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, who was elected governor in a stunning upset of incumbent Republican Bill Clements
Bill Clements
William Perry "Bill" Clements, Jr. was the 42nd and 44th Governor of Texas, serving from 1979 to 1983 and 1987 to 1991. Clements was the first Republican to have served as governor of the U.S. state of Texas since Reconstruction...
of Dallas. Nineteen eighty-two was the last year in which Texas Democrats swept all statewide races on the ballot. To win the nomination for attorney general, Mattox defeated fellow Democrat Max Sherman
Max Sherman
Max Ray Sherman is a former member of the Texas State Senate from Amarillo, Texas. He was also president of West Texas A&M University in Canyon, and dean of the Lyndon B...
, a former state senator and former president of West Texas A&M University
West Texas A&M University
West Texas A&M University , part of the Texas A&M University System, is a public university located in Canyon, Texas, a small city south of Amarillo. West Texas A&M opened on September 20, 1910...
. Mattox then easily defeated the Republican State Senator William C. "Bill" Meier
Bill Meier
William Carl "Bill" Meier is an attorney and a former member of the Texas State Senate from Hurst in Tarrant County, who holds the world filibuster record in a legislative body. Meier currently serves as a Justice to the Texas Second Court of Appeals.-Biography:Bill Meier was reared in Waco,...
of Euless
Euless, Texas
Euless, known as "Tree City USA," is a city in Tarrant County, Texas, United States, and a suburb of Fort Worth. Euless is part of the Mid-Cities between Dallas and Fort Worth...
in Tarrant County, a former Democrat, who holds the filibuster
Filibuster
A filibuster is a type of parliamentary procedure. Specifically, it is the right of an individual to extend debate, allowing a lone member to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a given proposal...
record—43 hours—in the Texas Senate.
In 1983, Mattox was indicted for "commercial bribery" and prosecuted by Travis County
Travis County, Texas
As of 2009, the U.S. census estimates there were 1,026,158 people, 320,766 households, and 183,798 families residing in the county. The population density was 821 people per square mile . There were 335,881 housing units at an average density of 340 per square mile...
District Attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
Ronnie Earle
Ronnie Earle
Ronald Dale "Ronnie" Earle was, until January 2009, the District Attorney for Travis County, Texas. He became nationally known for filing charges against House majority leader Tom DeLay in September 2005 for conspiring to violate Texas' election law and/or to launder money...
, a Democrat close to the late Governor Ann W. Richards. Earle later prosecuted the Republican congressional leader Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
Thomas Dale "Tom" DeLay is a former member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1984 until 2006. He was Republican Party House Majority Leader from 2003 to 2005, when he resigned because of criminal money laundering charges in...
. Like the DeLay prosecution, the political background of the Mattox prosecution related to an attempt to conceal the delivery of corporate funds to an election campaign. Mattox had received a campaign contribution of $125,000 from his sister Janice, a Dallas lawyer. Janice Mattox in turn had obtained a similar amount from Seafirst Bank in Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, which had close ties to Mattox supporter Clinton Manges
Clinton Manges
Clinton Manges was a controversial oil tycoon in Texas in the 1970s and 1980s.Manges was born in Cement, Oklahoma, but began amassing his fortune in South Texas in the early 1970s when he befriended political boss George Parr, the "Duke of Duval." In 1971 he bought a ranch in the county...
, a controversial South Texas
South Texas
South Texas is a region of the U.S. state of Texas that lies roughly south of and including San Antonio. The southern and western boundary is the Rio Grande River, and to the east it is the Gulf of Mexico. The population of this region is about 3.7 million. The southern portion of this region is...
rancher-oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
man who was the successor to George Parr, the corrupt "Duke of Duval". Manges was co-plaintiff
Plaintiff
A plaintiff , also known as a claimant or complainant, is the term used in some jurisdictions for the party who initiates a lawsuit before a court...
with the state (represented by Mattox) in major litigation against Mobil Oil Company. Mobil had attempted to depose Janice Mattox concerning the Seafirst transaction, which led Mattox to threaten Mobil's law firm, Fulbright & Jaworski
Fulbright & Jaworski
The international law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. is one of the largest law firms in the United States with nearly 1,000 attorneys in over 50 practice areas. The firm was founded in Houston in 1919 by R. C. Fulbright, an attorney working in railway regulation, and J.H. Crooker, a litigator...
, with loss of its tax-exempt bond practice, a power held by the attorney general in Texas. Secretly recorded by the recipient of the threats, Mattox did not deny threatening the law firm, nor did he deny the Seafirst transactions, his defense being based on the legal definition of the crime of "commercial bribery." After a long trial, Mattox was acquitted.
In 1986, Mattox was narrowly reelected attorney general with 53 percent of the statewide vote; he beat back an unusually strong Republican opponent in San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, lawyer Roy Barrera, Jr.
Roy Barrera, Jr.
Roy R. Barrera, Jr. , is a high profile lawyer in San Antonio who attempted to unseat Texas Attorney General Jim Mattox in the 1986 general election. Barrera is a 1975 graduate of St. Mary's University Law School in San Antonio. He practices in the firm Nicholas and Barrera.Barrera is the son of...
, who garnered 45 percent of the vote. In that election, many Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
voters supported the Democrat Mattox, rather than the Republican Barrera. As attorney general, Mattox highlighted the state's accelerated efforts to help mothers collect child support from divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
d or unwed fathers. His aggressive attacks on alleged wrongdoing by corporations gained him considerable popular support.
In 1989, Mattox was inducted into the Hall of Fame of his alma mater, Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas, Texas.
Challenging Ann Richards, 1990
In 1990, Mattox chose not to seek reelection to a third term as attorney general and sought the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. He alleged that his principal opponent, outgoing State TreasurerTreasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
Ann Richards
Ann Richards
Dorothy Ann Willis Richards was an American politician from Texas. She first came to national attention as the state treasurer of Texas, when she delivered the keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention. Richards served as the 45th Governor of Texas from 1991 to 1995 and was...
, had used cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
and was a recovering alcoholic who might falter in handling the strains associated with being governor. Mattox went into a runoff election with Richards because the third contender, former Governor Mark White, polled enough votes to keep both Mattox and Richards from winning an outright majority. Richards went on to win the nomination and the election, very narrowly, over Republican business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
man Clayton Wheat Williams, Jr.
Clayton Williams
Clayton Wheat "Claytie" Williams, Jr. , a businessman from Midland, Texas, was the unsuccessful Republican gubernatorial nominee in 1990 against the Democratic State Treasurer Ann Richards even though Williams initially led in opinion polls by twenty points.-Biographical information:An independent...
, of Midland
Midland, Texas
Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, United States, on the Southern Plains of the state's western area. A small portion of the city extends into Martin County. As of 2010, the population of Midland was 111,147. It is the principal city of the Midland, Texas...
.
Failed comeback attempts, 1994 and 1998
In 1994, Mattox ran for the U.S. Senate, but he eventually lost the Democratic nomination to Richard W. FisherRichard W. Fisher
Richard W. Fisher is currently the President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, having assumed that post in April, 2005.-Career:...
, who had been a Ross Perot
Ross Perot
Henry Ross Perot is a U.S. businessman best known for running for President of the United States in 1992 and 1996. Perot founded Electronic Data Systems in 1962, sold the company to General Motors in 1984, and founded Perot Systems in 1988...
operative in the 1992 presidential election. Fisher was also the son-in-law of former Third District
Texas's 3rd congressional district
Texas District 3 of the United States House of Representatives is a Congressional district that serves a suburban area north and northeast of Dallas. It encompasses a large portion of Collin County including McKinney, Plano, and Frisco, and the northeast corner of Dallas County including parts of...
Republican Congressman James M. Collins
James M. Collins
James Mitchell Collins, often known as Jim Collins , was a Republican who represented the Third Congressional District of Texas from 1968-1983. The district was based at the time about Irving in Dallas County....
of Dallas. Collins lost the 1982 senatorial general election to Lloyd Bentsen. Fisher was then defeated in the November 1994 general election by the freshman Republican Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
Kay Bailey Hutchison
Kathryn Ann Bailey Hutchison, known as Kay Bailey Hutchison , is the senior United States Senator from Texas.She is a member of the Republican Party. In 2001, she was named one of the thirty most powerful women in America by Ladies Home Journal. The first woman to represent Texas in the U.S....
.
In 1998, Mattox tried to return to the attorney general's position, but lost the general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
to Republican John Cornyn
John Cornyn
John Cornyn, III is the junior United States Senator for Texas, serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party. He was elected Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee for the 111th U.S. Congress....
, a former member of the Texas Supreme Court
Texas Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Texas is the court of last resort for non-criminal matters in the state of Texas. A different court, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, is the court of last resort for criminal matters.The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices...
. Cornyn polled 2,002,794 votes (54.25 percent) to Mattox's 1,631,045 ballots (44.18 percent). (A third candidate received 1.56 percent.) Cornyn had defeated two other candidates for the Republican nomination as attorney general, outgoing Texas Railroad Commissioner Barry Williamson
Barry Williamson
Barry Ashlin Williamson is an American attorney who served as a Republican member of the Texas Railroad Commission from 1992-1999...
and Mattox's old rival, Tom Pauken. Cornyn became the first Republican ever elected as attorney general of Texas. Four years later, Cornyn vacated that office to become one of Texas's two U.S. senators.
Advocate for Ending the Texas Two-Step
Five days before his death, Jim Mattox testified to a Texas Democratic Party Committee on the Party's method of awarding presidential delegates based on a primary vote plus evening caucuses. Mattox said the system, known as the Texas Two-Step, was an embarrassment to the party. "Now let me tell you, folks," Mattox said. "This system we've got is an expensive system. It's an unintelligible system. It is an acrimonious system across the board. It is subject to misconduct, it is subject to fraud, it is subject to manipulation. It's unfair, it's uncertain, it's inaccurate, and it's an embarrassment to our party."Death
In 2008, Mattox worked in Hillary Rodham ClintonHillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
's unsuccessful bid for the Democratic presidential nomination
Nomination
Nomination is part of the process of selecting a candidate for either election to an office, or the bestowing of an honor or award.In the context of elections for public office, a candidate who has been selected by a political party is normally said to be the nominee of that party...
. He died eight months thereafter at the age of 65 in his sleep at his home in Dripping Springs
Dripping Springs, Texas
Dripping Springs is a city in Hays County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,548 at the 2000 census; it was 1,828 in the 2008 census estimate....
in Hays County
Hays County, Texas
Hays County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its official population had reached 157,107. It is named for John Coffee Hays, a Texas Ranger and Mexican-American War officer. The seat of the county is San Marcos....
east of Austin. The cause of death was unknown. In addition to his sister, he was survived by his wife, Marta K. Mattox (born February 26, 1955), and their two children, Jim "Jimmer" and Janet "Sissi" Mattox, and younger brother Jerry Mattox
Chuck McDonald, the Richards spokesman during the 1990 gubernatorial primary described Mattox as "the original maverick. He prided himself on being the voice of the little guy and took on every big-money interest group he could find. As a political rival, he was as tough as they came. He never backed down from a fight, and he made all the candidates stronger."
Garry Mauro
Garry Mauro
Garry Mauro is an American Democratic Party politician from Texas, most noted for being the four-term commissioner of the Texas General Land Office from 1983 to 1999 during the administrations of Governors Mark White, Bill Clements, Ann Richards, and George W...
, the Texas land commissioner from 1983-1999 who was defeated for governor in 1998 by George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and who later managed Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in Texas, described Mattox as a man "pounding on the table for the people. Anybody that thinks of Jim Mattox and doesn't think of the 'people's lawyer' really didn't know him. He never saw a fight he'd walk away from."
Mattox's body laid in repose at the Texas House of Representatives
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
chamber inside the Texas Capitol Rotunda on Monday, November 23, 2008. Funeral services were held on Tuesday, November 24, 2008 at the First Baptist Church, 901 Trinity Street in Austin. He is interred at the Texas State Cemetery
Texas State Cemetery
The Texas State Cemetery is a cemetery located on about just east of downtown Austin, the capital of Texas. Originally the burial place of Edward Burleson, Texas Revolutionary general and Vice-President of the Republic of Texas, it was expanded into a Confederate cemetery during the Civil War...
, 909 Navastoa Street in Austin.
External links
- http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/vol17/issue26/pols.AGrace.html
- http://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist.exe
- http://www.burntorangereport.com/archives/000526.html
- http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/vol18/issue09/pols.attgeneral.html
- http://www.sanderhicks.com/reagan.html
- http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/f/finances/index.html?query=MATTOX,%20JAMES&field=per&match=exact
- http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2519/is_n6_v15?pnum=9&opg=15543265
- http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/DD/hcd11.html
- http://www.theexaminer.com/npps/story.cfm?ID=2766
- http://changethecaucus.org/?p=172 Video of Jim Mattox Testifying Against the Texas Two-Step at Austin Hearing on November 14
- http://www.cemetery.state.tx.us/