Speaker Biography

State Senator Kirk Watson represents Travis and Bastrop counties in the Texas Senate. He was elected to the Texas Senate in 2007 and previously served as the mayor of Austin. He is an attorney with the law firm Husch Blackwell, LLP.

Senator Watson serves on the Senate committees overseeing Finance, Health and Human Services, Higher Education and Nominations. He is also a member of the Texas Sunset Commission. He served as chairman of the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus beginning in 2011 and continued in that position through the 2015 legislative session.

His priorities center on education, health care, transportation, government transparency, and state employees.

In 2011, Senator Watson laid out 10 Goals in 10 Years to transform the health and economy of Austin and Travis County. Substantial progress has been made on each of the goals, including 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. Building on those successes, Watson is leading a community-based effort to develop a center for world-class brain health treatment, research and education in conjunction with the overhaul of Austin State Hospital. The American Medical Association recognized Sen. Watson's contribution to health care with the prestigious Dr. Nathan Davis Award for Outstanding Government Service in 2017.

Senator Watson graduated first in his class from Baylor Law School, and he holds an undergraduate degree from Baylor University. He has been awarded the "Pro Texana – Medal of Service" from his alma mater.

He is married to Liz McDaniel Watson. Kirk and Liz have two children– Cooper, who is a student at Baylor University; and Preston, who is married and lives in Austin with his wife and baby girl, Effie.