John Will Odam (born May 19, 1943; died August 21, 2022)[1][2] was an American lawyer, author, and politician from the U.S. state of Texas.
[3] Odam briefly served in the United States Army before graduating from the University of Texas and Baylor Law School.
He later served as chairman of the Harris County Democratic Party and a special assistant to Houston mayor Kathy Whitmire, among other positions.
He ran for Texas Attorney General in 1990, losing the Democratic primary to Dan Morales.
[3][4] Along with Jim Chapman, Odam was one of two candidates for the 1996 Democratic nomination for Senate who was eliminated in the first round of voting.