Power Players features state lawmakers rising through the ranks or making a notable mark on the 87th Texas legislative session. Each week, Capital Tonight will feature an elected official to give you a chance to get to know the person behind the powerful position.
AUSTIN, Texas — State Sen. Kel Seliger has been serving the Texas panhandle since 2004. Before that, he was the Mayor of Amarillo for almost a decade. Even if people can’t pinpoint the small Texas town on a map – George Strait has given it some name recognition.
"Whenever you go anywhere and you say you're from Amarillo, Texas, you can be in the south of England and somebody will sing a few bars of 'Amarillo by Morning,'” Seliger said.
Seliger is proud of the small Texas town he's represented for so many years. He says through it all he learned what public service really means. At his core, Seliger considers himself a small businessman. As mayor, his goal was to operate the city by following good business principles.
It was there he learned how to fix a lot of potholes — both literally and figuratively. Which the Republican says helped him take on the role of state senator.
"You know, they're all potholes. All the problems are potholes. Some are just bigger and deeper and involve more thought and more people and more resources," said Seliger.
Seliger comes from a small town, and everyone knows him so he tends to be a bit more accessible to constituents.
"My phone number has always been in the Amarillo phone book,” said Seliger “And I've gotten calls late at night by people who needed something. Sometimes what they needed to do was quit drinking, but sometimes they really did need something."
And to the dismay of his staffers, he's still not afraid to pick up the phone.
"I'll either come in early or stay late, and I'll answer the phone. And it's just fun and I do it all the time, they hate it. If she[chief of staff] knew I was coming in early, 6:30 or 7 in the morning, she'd have some poor employee come in to ensure there’s adult supervision," said Seliger.
Seliger says most people just want to be listened to. He’s also known for working across the aisle. But it put him in a public feud with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick last session and sidelined his leadership role. His history of speaking his mind doesn’t always help either.
"Generally the problems I get into are caused by my mouth and that's my responsibility to know better," said Seliger.
And the importance of using his words trickles into his family life too.
"We determined a long time ago our kids are not going to, 30 years from now go on Oprah and say, ‘My dad never told me he loved me’ you've heard that. So I tell them all the time," added Seliger.
When the session and pandemic are over, Seliger says he's looking forward to the birth of his first granddaughter and golfing with his two sons.