Tom Schieffer - Early Political Career

Early Political Career

While in college he worked in the offices of State Senator Don Kennard and Governor John Connally.

Schieffer ran in the 1972 Democratic primary against incumbent Speaker Pro-Tem Tommy Shannon, who was involved in the Sharpstown scandal. After leading the primary and winning the run-off, Schieffer was nominated by Democrats to run at age 24. He won the general election that fall running county wide with more than 60% of the vote when the Democratic Presidential candidate received just over 30% of the county wide vote. Sworn in at age 25, Schieffer was one of the youngest members of the class of '72. Because of the scandal, 77 of the 150 House members were freshman that year. Kay Bailey Hutchison and her husband Ray were both members of that freshman class as well as Democratic State Representative Senfronia Thompson, Democratic State Senator John Whitmire, former House Speaker Pete Laney, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson and Congressman Gene Green. Federal Judge James R. Nowlin was also a member of that class along with a number of other prominent Texans.

The first piece of legislation Schieffer passed was a bill renaming the State Finance Building the Lyndon B. Johnson State Office Building. Johnson, whom Schieffer admired greatly for passing the landmark civil rights bills of '64, '65 and '68 had died in January 1973. During his first session, Schieffer successfully argued for funding the Fort Worth State School - a mental health facility - receiving the editorial kudos of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram for having "earned his spurs" as an effective legislator in Austin.

Re-elected with over 60% of the vote in the 1974 general election (he had no opposition in the Democratic primary) Schieffer was named Chairman of the Local and Consent Calendars Committee in his second term, a position he retained in his third term as well. Schieffer was the lead author on the bill that established the first Presidential primary in Texas. He was also the lead author on the bill that restricted the catch of redfish along the Texas coast, a measure that conservationists and wildlife enthusiasts had sought for years. Schieffer also co-authored legislation that closed the loophole on child care facilities that wanted to operate without meeting state child care facility standards.

The first two terms Tom Schieffer was in the legislature, Tarrant County state representatives were elected countywide. Before his third term the Legislature passed a single member district plan and he was re-elected in that district. In January 1978 a federal court overturned the existing single member district plan and redrew the lines. Schieffer, who retained only one precinct out of his old district, carried every precinct in the Democratic primary against the wife of the incumbent Fort Worth mayor. That fall, however, he lost his seat to Republican Bob Ware.

He belonged to the conservative wing of the Texas Democratic Party associated with Connally and Senator Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr. He was the Fort Worth area co-ordinator for Democratic Governor Mark Wells White's election campaigns.