Bill Ganzel. Joe Alexander with his 1938 campaign poster in front of the McLennan County Court House during election week. Waco, Texas, November 1978

"Looks like I got a pretty good location for my sign there. This platform was here and the candidates were all up there. And this whole place was full of people, even out into the street and up the side streets. All the candidates would speak on one night. It took all night. All they did was get up and say who they were, what they were running for, what their qualifications were. Then they would get off.

"I was elected assessor first in 1936. And I held that office until I retired in 1972. My opponent in the ’38 election, when he was in office, came up short about $55,000. My three predecessors all came up short. One time I was running and talking to this old boy down south, and he says, ‘Joe, I’m going to vote for you, and you know why?’ He says, ‘I’ve known that office for fifty years and you’re the first son of a bitch that hasn’t stolen everything out of it.’"

—JOE ALEXANDER