GALVESTON — Former District 3 councilman and state senate candidate Joe Jaworski on Thursday confirmed rumors he is planning to run for mayor in 2010.
After losing his bid to oust state Sen. Mike Jackson, R-La Porte, from the District 11 seat in November and watching the city struggle to recover from Hurricane Ike, Jaworski said he realized the place he could do the most good was in his own hometown.
“The greatest need is in the city, and it’s where I live,” he said. “I came out of the holidays completely clear on my path.”
If elected, Jaworski said he would be a forward-thinking mayor, especially when it comes to storm recovery efforts.
“Hurricane Ike is an opportunity,” he said. “It’s tragic and damaged us greatly, but this is a chance to make great progress in Galveston. I fully intend to be that kind of mayor.”
Jaworski sees his campaign as a way to bring more statewide attention to the island, the kind of status Galveston used to have 40 years ago.
“I want to serve people’s interests here, but Galveston could use some greater connectivity,” he said.
Many people expected the former councilman to run for mayor in 2006, when he had to leave the council because of term limits. But that would have required him to challenge Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas, something he was not interested in doing, he said.
Thomas will have to leave office because of term limits in 2010. She’s serving her third consecutive term.
Jaworski spent the first three weeks of the year meeting with Galvestonians who wield behind-the-scenes political power.
Their response to his announcement has been overwhelmingly positive, he said.
He’s also talked to at least one potential challenger, Mayor pro tem Danny Weber, who will hit the term limits in his District 5 seat in 2010.
“It was a friendly conversation among former colleagues,” Jaworski said, adding that he and Weber were mutual fans.
Although it might seem early to start on a city council campaign, political races seemed to start earlier than they used to, Jaworski said.
Jaworski described his senate bid as an eye-opening experience. It taught him a lot about campaigning, he said.
It also taught him something about fundraising.
Jaworski, an attorney, spent $70,000 of his own money on the race but raised an additional $1.2 million from supporters.
As he prepares for this race, which he cannot officially join until next year, Jaworski said he planned to reach out to people statewide because he wants them to take notice of Galveston.
“Even if they don’t live here, they are all Galvestonians,” he said.
“This is their beach, their medicine, their history.”
