After leaving the governorship, Clements worked hard to help Republican candidates seeking office in Texas. He lived in Dallas with his second wife, Rita Crocker. She was later appointed to the University of Texas Regents by Governor George W. Bush. Clements was known for his acerbic, energetic personality, which Democrats hated but Republicans loved. In 1993, he unsuccessfully supported the conservative Congressman Joe Barton in a special election for the U.S. Senate. 