Morales, who had never run for statewide office before, pulled a major upset in the primary by defeating three politicians: U.S. Congressman
John Wiley Bryant, U.S. Congressman
Jim Chapman, and former
State Supreme Court litigator John Odam. He campaigned around the state in his
pickup truck. His campaign slogan was "Porque no? or "Why Not?" His only previous political experience was a two-year term on the City Council of his hometown of
Crandall, Texas. He became the first minority candidate in Texas history to become a United States Senate nominee from either major party. Despite having no staff, raising only $15,000, and not accepting any special interest money he obtained over 2.4 million votes.
Exit polls showed that Morales won
African Americans' votes (79% to 19%) and
Latinos (79% to 20%) respectively. Though Morales lost, his effort was an important moment for the Hispanic community. "It's just rejuvenated the community, paving the way for future candidates ... there's a lot of excitement because of what he was able to do." Morales would proceed to lose political campaigns in
1998 for the U.S. House of Representatives, in
2002 for the U.S. Senate, in 2006 for the U.S. House of Representatives, and finally in 2008 for the Texas House of Representatives. ==Personal life==