Texas
Equality Candidate
Ciro Rodriguez TX-23
While having previously served in Congress on behalf of Texas’s 28th Congressional District, Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D) won the seat for the 23rd District in 2006. Throughout his time in the House, Rep. Rodriguez has always shown a commitment to issues of equality and civil rights. This Congress, Rodriguez supported strong hate crimes legislation and is an original co-sponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Republican-led redistricting efforts have changed the demographic composition of this district, and in 2008, Rep. Rodriguez will likely face a tough reelection race in this sprawling district that covers over 48,000 square miles.
What’s Happening
A handful of seats away from a fair-minded majority in the state House—can you help make a difference?
Last year, HRC sent a staff member to engage HRC members in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to be active in a special election for the State House of Representatives. In December, the fair-minded candidate won. Before the 2006 election, a fair-minded majority seemed out of sight—12 seats away. After the special election in 2007, Texas is just five seats from a fair-minded majority in the House.
We are within striking distance of electing a fair-minded majority to the Texas state House, which would allow us to stop playing defense in Austin and begin advancing pro-equality legislation like the important anti-bullying bill.
HRC has established the HRC Texas Families Political Action Committee (PAC) to raise funds and donate directly to pro-equality non-federal candidates in Texas. Money raised in Texas for the PAC will stay and be invested in Texas.
A regional field organizer has been in Texas since September mobilizing HRC members and working with allies mainly on state House races. HRC conducted Camp Equality election skills trainings in Houston and Dallas, and has deployed a Campaign College participant to work on state House campaigns in the Fort Worth area.
HRC Endorsed Candidates in Texas
U.S. Senate
- Rick Noriega (D-TX)
U.S. House of Representatives
- Michael Skelly (D-TX-7)
- Al Green (D-TX-9)
- Larry Joe Doherty (D-TX-10)
- Ruben E. Hinojosa (D-TX-15)
- Silvestre Reyes (D-TX-16)
- Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX-18)
- Charles A. Gonzalez (D-TX-20)
- Ciro D. Rodriguez (D-TX-23)
- Lloyd Doggett (D-TX-25)
- Gene Green (D-TX-29)
- Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX-30)
Vote
Register to vote: Rock the Vote
Question about where or how to vote? Want to report a problem voting? Call 1-866-OUR-VOTE
In Your Area
Upcoming Events in Your Area
Attend an election night watch party!
For more information about HRC’s work in Texas, please find out more about our Austin steering committee at http://austin.hrc.org/ , our Dallas/Ft. Worth steering committee at http://dallasfw.hrc.org/ , our Houston steering committee at http://houston.hrc.org/ , and our San Antonio steering committee at http://sanantonio.hrc.org/
The statewide LGBT advocacy group in Texas is Equality Texas: for more information please visit: http://www.equalitytexas.org/
