Under White's administration, he focused his energies on education reform (including no pass/no play) and utility rate regulation.

Backed by big business, the first-term Democrat staked his hopes on reelection in 1986 on the belief that Texans, by and large, will support a new emphasis on academics over sports.

He also pushed through the education reform package which took effect in 1985, and he launched a $500,000 statewide television ad campaign to promote the no-pass, no-play law.

But as the football season reached its climax, growing numbers of angry high school coaches indicated in Dallas that they would support an unprecedented campaign to unseat White in the 1986 gubernatorial elections.

Since losing in 1982, Clements made it pretty clear that he wanted to take back the governorship in 1986.

University of Houston political science professor Richard Murray mentioned that the White-Clements rematch of 1986 like this: "Here you've got two guys who have been governor going at it.

During the 1986 campaign, Clements and White staged the most expensive political race in state history, spending more than $25 million between them.

He was endorsed by President Ronald Reagan, then-vice president George H. W. Bush, U.S. senator Phil Gramm (R-TX), former U.S. senator John Tower, and former Democratic governors Preston Smith and Price Daniel.

Dallas and Houston led the nation in office vacancies, and corporate bankruptcies increasingly infected the business community.

Among those involved in Clements' campaign included Karl Rove as his campaign manager and Reggie Bashur as his press secretary; he also began phoning his previous supporters, many of whom had already committed to other candidates, including Jim Francis; appointments secretary Tobin Armstrong; Bum Bright, an A&M regent appointed by Clements; and pollster Lance Tarrance.

Although White started out trailing by double digits (30 points according to one polling firm), he turned the race into a very tight one.

He had a big smile on his face as he pulled the list out of the jacket, and he's got my piece of paper with the items.