Bell then became the Democratic nominee in the 2006 election for the office of Governor of Texas, losing to Republican incumbent governor Rick Perry by 406,450 votes (Perry 39% versus Bell 30%) in a fractured general election campaign that also drew in two significant independent challengers.

In 1982, he graduated with a journalism degree and began work as a television and radio journalist, first in Ardmore, Oklahoma and later in Amarillo.

He then moved to Houston, working as a Harris County court radio reporter while taking night classes at South Texas College of Law.

[2] In 1984, Bell ran for Amarillo-based District 87 for the Texas House of Representatives after friends assured him they could get him a job as a legal assistant if he won.

[citation needed] Bell served as at large Position 4 councilman for the Houston City Council for five years.

Throughout his service, he focused on ethics reform, passing laws that limited the use of soft money in city elections.

[citation needed] In 2002, Bell successfully ran for the United States House of Representatives for Texas District 25.

In October 2003, Bell became a target in U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay’s 2003 congressional redistricting effort.

[citation needed] Three months after losing his primary election, on June 15, 2004, Bell filed an ethics complaint against DeLay, alleging abuse of power and illegal solicitation of money, among other things.

Four months later, the House Ethics Committee unanimously "admonished" DeLay – a disciplinary measure less harsh than (in increasing order of severity) a fine, reprimand, censure, or expulsion – on two of Bell's charges.

"[5] Bell's second complaint was "resolved by a letter of admonition" indicating that "the contacts of Representative DeLay’s staff with the Federal Aviation Administration" (regarding absentee Texas legislators) raised "serious concerns ... under House standards of conduct that preclude using governmental resources for a political undertaking.

[5] In 2005, after two unsuccessful attempts, Democratic district attorney Ronnie Earle obtained an indictment from a Travis County grand jury against DeLay on criminal charges that he had violated state campaign-finance laws.

"[6] DeLay termed his decade-long legal ordeal, originally instigated by Bell's complaints, "an outrageous criminalization of politics," and indicated that said he would "probably not" seek any return to elected office.

[9] On July 18, 2008, Bell announced on his campaign website that he would run in the special election for Texas Senate, District 17.

[14] He lost the March 2020 Democratic primary, coming in sixth place with 8.5% of the vote and failing to advance to the runoff.

Bell finished behind former congressional candidate M.J. Hegar, State Senator Royce West, labor organizer Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez, businesswoman Annie "Mamá" Garcia, and Houston City Councilor Amanda Edwards.

[15] Bell voted no on banning partial birth abortion except to save the mother's life and had a 100 percent rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America.

He also wants to give public universities state funding and help students by making textbooks tax free.

[21] Bell has opposed the Trans-Texas Corridor, a proposed toll road, on the grounds that it would consume 1.5 million acres (6000 km²) of farmland and 150 square miles (390 km2) of privately owned property.