Ron Kirk for Senate

Jet, Feb 11, 2002

Former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk, joined by his wife, Matrice, waves to the crowd as he announces his candidacy for the U.S. Senate during a rally in Austin, TX. The 47-year-old Democrat began his statewide campaign swing in Dallas, where he served as mayor for six years. He said as mayor he brought together people of all races and political parties.

"We ended the blame game that had paralyzed our city," Kirk said. "By working together, what we found is that our city grew." That same sense of unity is needed on the national level, he added. If elected, Kirk would be the first Black Texan to serve in the United States Senate. "I'm not running for the U.S. Senate to make history. I'm running for the United States Senate because I want to make a difference," he said. A graduate of the University of Texas School of Law, Kirk served as the 98th Texas secretary of state before his election to the Dallas mayor's post in 1995.