In 2012, serving the Austin area in the Texas Senate, he led the effort to build a new medical school at The University of Texas at Austin. After an unprecedented show of support by local voters, the Dell Medical School became the first medical school in nearly 50 years to be built from the ground up at a top-tier research university.

The school was just one of the 10 Goals in 10 Years that Watson laid out to positively impact the health and economy of Central Texas. As a result of this vision, a new modern teaching and safety-net hospital was built in the region, and the community came together to develop a center for world-class brain health treatment, research, and education.

While a senator, he was honored multiple times in Texas Monthly magazine’s analysis of the state's best legislators. In 1998, the magazine described him as “a man with a vision of what the community wants — and the moxie to carry it out.”

When Watson returned to the mayor’s office in 2023, he worked immediately to stabilize city government and improve basic city operations. In the first two years of Watson’s most current term, response times at Austin's 911 call center have substantially improved, site plan review times have been slashed, homeless response services have been consolidated under one department to better manage contracts and oversee efforts, and the City signed a new five-year labor contract with the Austin Police Association with robust police oversight. Watson also played an instrumental role in protecting Austin Light Rail during the 88th Legislative Session by working with lawmakers in the Texas House to stop a last-minute Senate amendment to kill its financing.

As mayor, Watson has been laser-focused on making sure every Austinite has the opportunity to afford to make a life in our City. He has led on major affordability initiatives including the enactment of historic land-use reforms to increase housing stock and the creation of the Austin Infrastructure Academy. His priorities include housing, workforce development, homelessness, public safety, mobility, climate resilience, and Generation ATX: a movement to make Austin the best place to be a kid.

Watson has also been honored by the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, NAMI Austin, and the American Medical Association, which recognized his contribution to health care with the prestigious Dr. Nathan Davis Award for Outstanding Government Service. In his book, Austin Unlimited: The People, Place, Passion and Prospects, Watson chronicled the economic evolution of Austin through the lens of his time in public office. He has served as Chair of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce and the Texas Advisory Board of Environmental Defense, and he has been a member of the Executive Committee of the State Bar of Texas. He also chaired the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, the primary transportation planning agency for Central Texas.

Watson, who grew up in Saginaw, Texas, graduated from Baylor University and Baylor Law School. He and his wife, Liz, have two adult sons and two delightful granddaughters.