Yarborough, Don, 1925-2009

A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin (UT) and the UT Law School, Donald Howard Yarborough (1925-2009) was a Democratic politician, whose ability to articulate liberal values helped bring reform to the Texas Democratic Party. His first foray into politics came in 1960, when he unsuccessfully ran for Lieutenant Governor. In 1962, he shocked the Democratic establishment in Texas by coming within 28,000 votes of defeating Lyndon Johnson’s protégé, John Connally, Jr., in the Democratic gubernatorial primary. He unsuccessfully challenged Connally again in 1964 and lost to Preston Smith in 1968. Centered around civil rights, the environment, and social justice, his campaigns galvanized labor and minorities, building a strong foundation for the liberal faction of the Texas Democratic Party.

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