The Jets tried Watts at several positions and could not guarantee that he would play quarterback, so he opted to sign with the CFL's Ottawa Rough Riders.

[11] Watts opened a highway construction company and later cited discontent with government regulation of his business as reason to become a candidate for public office.

[5][9] Watts later stated he had first considered changing parties when, as a journalism student, he covered the 1980 U.S. Senate campaign of Republican Don Nickles.

He positioned himself as both a fiscal and social conservative, favoring the death penalty, school prayer, a balanced budget amendment and welfare reform, and opposing abortion, gay rights, and reduced defense spending.

[6] Watts emphasized moral absolutes and was considered in line with Republican Speaker Newt Gingrich's agenda,[15] the Contract with America,[6] and at the time was the only African-American who did not join the Congressional Black Caucus.

[11] He initially supported ending affirmative action, declaring inadequate education the main obstacle for racial equality, but subsequently opposed legislation banning the practice for the federal government.

[17] Watts denied the charge, took the test, and accused Crocker of draft dodging during the Vietnam War and later living at the "center of the West Coast drug culture.

[5] In his response, Watts focused on providing a positive vision of the Republican Party and advocated deficit and tax reduction and faith-based values.

[4] Watts had previously spoken to The Washington Times and created controversy by criticizing "race-hustling poverty pimps"[4] as keeping African-Americans dependent on government.

[7] Watts argued he had been exonerated from any criminal conduct and that his financial problems were a result of losses for Oklahoma oil and gas businesses during the 1980s.

[22] He voted to impeach Bill Clinton,[2] was appointed by Speaker Dennis Hastert to lead a group of House Republicans to investigate cybersecurity issues,[3] and became a member of a presidential exploratory committee for George W.

[23] Watts argued for using tax reduction to improve education, job training and housing in poor urban and rural settings, and advocated letting religious institutions carry out the work.

[3] Watts worked to make his party more inclusive, promoted African trade, supported historically black colleges and universities,[18] and was opposed to federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.

[24] To keep a majority of House seats in the 2000 election, Watts advised Republicans to moderate their language and criticized the party for creating the perception it favored a view of "family values that excluded single mothers.

[25] Watts won re-nomination with 81 percent against James Odom[26] and was re-elected by his largest margin yet against Democratic candidate Larry Weatherford.

[32] After he left Congress, Watts was appointed by President Bush to be a member of the Board of Visitors to the United States Military Academy for a term expiring December 30, 2003.

[40] Watts supported the Iraq War in 2003, stating: "America did not become the leader of the free world by looking the other way to heinous atrocities and unspeakable evils.

"[41] He was later hired as a political commentator by CNN[35] and following the 2006 House election, Watts argued the Republican Party had lost seats because it failed to address the needs of urban areas and did not offer a positive message.

[45] Watts considered running to succeed Brad Henry as Governor of Oklahoma in the 2010 gubernatorial election,[46] but declined in May 2009, citing his business and contractual obligations.

According to Watts, he was fired after uncovering rampant financial mismanagement at the charity and notifying the state's Attorney General Office of potentially illegal practices.

[53] The channel went out of business in April 2022, in the face of lagging cable and satellite provider subscriptions and an unsuccessful 2021 revamp that added commentators at odds with Watts's views.