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Posted on 12/23/2001 10:03:35 AM PST by anymouse

We didn't appear on television commercials or in political fliers during Houston's mayoral election. He gave neither speeches nor campaign contributions.

He doesn't live in Houston, and comes here only occasionally.

But during a prolific three-week period, Carol Willis became one of the more influential people in recent Houston political history.

The figurative general of a ragtag band of Democratic Party politicos known as the Buffalo Soldiers, Willis was largely responsible for a get-out-the-vote effort that helped return Mayor Lee Brown to office.

As a result of Willis' efforts, Councilman Orlando Sanchez lost his bid to become the city's first Hispanic mayor.

More important to Willis, Republicans lost a chance for a toehold at a City Hall historically controlled by Democrats.

Dividing the city into sectors of similar interest such as groups of churches, social organizations, juke joints or cafes, Willis and his Buffalo Soldiers focused on getting black voters to the polls.

Brown got a 25 percent spike in black voter turnout between the general election and the runoff, when Willis was in town.

Willis likened his success to that of the Christian Coalition, social conservatives who also focus on the grass roots.

The future of politics

"I think this is the wave of the political future," Willis said after the Houston mayoral runoff. "The parties will spend more and more time in local races like those for mayor or county commissioner.

Willis, a student of Bill Clinton when the ex-president was a law professor, helped his mentor reach black voters.

The oldest of six children of an African Methodist Episcopal minister and funeral home director in McGehee, Ark., Willis, 52, met Clinton at the University of Arkansas. Their lifelong bond developed as Willis assisted Clinton's initial run for Arkansas attorney general. During that and future Clinton campaigns for Arkansas governor, Willis learned to build networks of black ministers and others who got voters to the polls.

By 1992, when Clinton ran for president, Willis maintained a cadre of 15-20 black politicos who likened themselves to the Buffalo Soldiers, a band of black soldiers who fought for the United States against the Indians in the 1870s. They earned their name, by most accounts, because the Native Americans thought their hair resembled that of the buffalo.

Willis' group crisscrossed the country, quickly forming local organizations in states with presidential primaries.

They operated on a shoestring, sometimes waiting on roadsides while Willis raised money for gasoline, Willis said.

During Clinton's presidency, Willis was subpoenaed as part of independent counsel Kenneth Starr's investigation. Starr wanted to know about how Willis distributed tens of thousands of dollars to black ministers and community leaders during Clinton's 1990 re-election campaign for Arkansas governor.

Willis was never indicted, and his attorney said he was the victim of a witch hunt.

Convening for special races The political Buffalo Solders now number about 40. Many wear hats styled after the 10th Cavalry hats of the original Buffalo Soldiers, with crossed sabers on the front.

Spread across the country and in various professions, they convene for special races. Willis, director of Community Services for the Democratic National Committee, reunited them shortly after getting a call from the Brown campaign as it headed toward the runoff.

Willis and Brown knew each other from the Clinton administration, in which Brown served as drug czar.

While Brown focused on advertising attacking Sanchez's past, the soldiers got voters to the polls during the early voting period and on Election Day.

"It was incredible. We went to a number of churches on Sunday and they were loading people on vans and taking them to the polls," Willis said. "I've worked on a lot of campaigns, but I'd never seen it done like that before."

The effort is part of the DNC's strategy to regain strength in Southern states, once reliably Democratic and now going Republican. Texas largely has been ignored by Democrats during the last four presidential elections. And in the past decade, Republicans have taken all top statewide elective offices.

Willis said the soldiers probably will return to Texas next fall for the gubernatorial and other elections.

"We found that Texas is in play. The state isn't as invincible as we thought," he said. "We'll be back."

John Williams' e-mail address is (john.williams@chron.com)

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