Wes Watkins - Return To Congress

Return To Congress

In 1996, Bill Brewster, a Democrat and former state representative from Madill, Oklahoma who had succeeded Watkins in the 3rd District, decided to retire from Congress as it became known that Watkins wanted his seat back. The House leadership persuaded him to run as a Republican. They promised a seat on the Ways and Means Committee with full seniority if he ran as a Republican and won. No congressman had ever served on all three of the major financial committees (Appropriations, Budget and Ways and Means) before. Despite Albert endorsing Watkins' Democratic opponent State Sen. Darryl Roberts, Watkins won a narrow victory, becoming the first Republican to represent this district called Little Dixie since Oklahoma joined the Union in 1907. The Republicans had never made a serious bid for the seat before.

He initially planned to retire from office in 1998 after undergoing back surgery, but was persuaded to run again. He was handily re-elected that year defeating Walt Roberts and faced no major-party opposition when he ran for his third term in 2000.

Watkins' voting record in his first period in Congress had been characterized as somewhat moderate. During his second period, however, his voting record was strongly conservative, usually receiving ratings in the high 90s from the American Conservative Union.