ELECTION WATCH: Texas Primaries 2022
Primary Day is coming in hot for Texas! On Tuesday, March 1st, 22 Run for Something candidates will appear on ballots with the promise of ushering in diverse voices and progressive values across the state. Take a look at these races and volunteer to Get Out the Vote this weekend.
CANDIDATES
A. Glenda Duru
Harris County 313th Family District Court
Volunteer with Team Duru!
Glenda Duru, a native of Harris County, Texas, is an advocate, mentor, educator, and community change agent. Glenda’s social work foundation led her to a career as a Child Welfare Attorney. Glenda has worked with youth from various backgrounds, economic statuses, races, cultures, and gender for over ten years. Glenda is passionate about improving the lives of children and families in Harris County.
Glenda Duru is a change agent in her legal and social community and stays involved in her local bar and professional organizations. Glenda serves on several committees with the Houston Young Lawyers Association, Downtown Group, Houston Bar Association, State Bar of Texas, and other civic and professional organizations. Glenda is a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and a Houston Galveston Board Member for the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship.
Glenda is dedicated to the legal process, believes in judicial transparency, and will represent the best interest of justice and the juveniles as the 313th Juvenile District Court Judge.
Alexandra Guio
Texas House, District 114
Volunteer with Team Guio!
Alexandra is the first attorney in her family, a first generation college graduate, and the only woman and Latina in the Democratic Primary race for House District 114. Her life experiences, professional skills, and her decade-long commitment to the community led her to the decision to run for a State Representative seat. She has faced many struggles in her life as an undocumented immigrant from Colombia and she has succeeded in life due to the support of her family and the help of so many from her community.
After becoming a U.S. Citizen in 2013 and graduating from the SMU Dedman School of Law, she served as an ADA in Dallas County for 8 years where she worked on the back-log of the rape kits and served as a Legislative Liaison in 2019. She has also been an advocate for the Dallas community for over a decade: organizing, registering voters, protesting, and testifying in Austin. HD 114 is 54% communities of color, it is time that they have a Representative reflective of that rich diversity, their values, their issues, and has the trust of the community. She wants to be part of the new generation of leadership in Texas which welcomes women and people of color to the table. She will fight for better schools, Medicaid expansion, reproductive justice and a better quality of life for all.
Atalia Garcia Williams
Dallas Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2, Place 1
Volunteer with Team Williams!
Atalia Garcia Williams is a bilingual (Spanish and English) attorney, mediator, and real estate professional. She is an experienced attorney of almost 12 years. Her law practice serves the community, and it has allowed her the opportunity to work with clients in many areas of law. She knows the court system and the law. Atalia can hit the ground running from her first day on the bench. As a first-generation college graduate of Mexican immigrant parents, she was taught the importance of hard work at a very early age. Atalia knows what it is like not to have it easy. She was a teenage mother and survived domestic violence. She pulled herself up with her bootstraps and graduated college and law school. She became a lawyer, all as a single mother. Atalia is knowledgeable in many areas of law. Atalia wants to make sure that people are treated fairly in our justice system. Atalia understands that the People’s Court deals with real cases that affect real people. She is dedicated to access to the courts, justice, and equity. Atalia believes everyone should have their day in court and have a qualified and experienced person on the other side of the bench. If elected, Atalia will be the first Latina elected to this court. Atalia understands the community and will listen and respect them. Atalia will bring her real-world experience as an individual and her experience as an Attorney to ensure the law is upheld while being compassionate, just, and fair.
Becca Moyer DeFelice
Texas House, District 121
Volunteer with Team DeFelice!
As a middle-class working Texas mom, Becca Moyer DeFelice believes that it’s time for the Texas Legislature to prioritize the issues that are impacting our families every day. As an advocate, she’s proven she can deliver for Texas families through her years of advocacy with Moms Demand Action and her work with State Senator Roland Gutierrez on SB 1380, a rural mental health bill that passed in the legislature last session.
Adopted at 16 months old, Becca grew up on a working family farm in rural Pennsylvania, becoming a naturalized citizen at age 6. In 2006, Becca and her husband moved to Texas as newlyweds and in 2010, their daughter was born in San Antonio. Becca’s working class background and years of community organizing and advocacy at the legislature give her the knowledge of what everyday Texans value and the ability to get those issues addressed. If elected, she’ll work to pass healthcare access and affordability, fully funded public schools with safe classrooms for students and teachers, the Climate Jobs Program, and lower property taxes to build a Texas future all Texans can thrive in.
Benjamin Chou
Harris County Commissioner, Precinct 4
Volunteer with Team Chou!
Ben Chou is an attorney and civil rights advocate. As the Director of Innovation for the Harris County Elections Office, he helped lead the team that created drive thru voting in Texas, resulting in record turnout during the 2020 election. He’s running to represent Harris County Commissioner Precinct 4, which has over 1.2 million people, and fighting to fix our roads, prevent flooding, and tackle violent crime. Determined to increase young people’s access to government, Ben advocated for policies benefiting young Americans while working for Speaker Nancy Pelosi and later co-founded a nonprofit voter registration organization that registered thousands of young Texans to vote. Ben is a lifelong Houstonian and a proud graduate of Rice University.
Daniella Deseta Lyttle
Texas State Court, 261st District Judge
Volunteer with Daniella!
Daniella is an award-winning multilingual trial lawyer (Spanish and Portuguese) who has served her community in the areas of family law and immigration for over twelve years. She is an immigrant, mother, and Army veteran who knows all too well that we need judges who understand the struggles of working families and who have the temperament, compassion, and cultural competence to serve on the bench.
Daniella knows what it is like to face income and educational inequality and has taken an active role advocating and volunteering for her community in Travis County for well over a decade.
If elected, Daniella will be the first immigrant and the first female veteran to serve the 261st Civil District Court in Travis County, Austin, Texas.
Daniella served as an Army Infantry Combat Medic for eight years, graduated with honors from University of South Florida and graduated at the top ten percent of her class — Magna Cum Laude from Michigan State University College of Law. She‚Äôs the proud owner and Managing Partner of Lyttle Law Firm, PLLC, where for well over a decade she has led her team to provide legal services to the Austin community to people facing some of the most challenging times in their lives. Daniella and her team at Lyttle Law pride themselves in serving Austin residents with compassion, empathy, creative advocacy, passion, and expertise.
Denise Hernández
Travis County Court at Law 6
Volunteer with Team Hernández!
Denise is a lawyer and community advocate running to be the first openly gay Latina Judge to serve County Court at Law #6 in Travis County, Texas. Denise is a first-generation college graduate and the proud daughter of indigenous migrant farmworkers. Inspired by her lived experience, Denise dedicated her career to public service. She started her career as a legal aid attorney helping low-income communities. She now serves as the Deputy Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Travis County Attorney’s Office, working on criminal justice reform.
As an award-winning social justice advocate, equity practitioner, and community organizer, Denise is running to bring true equity, inclusion, and cultural competency to the justice system for all.
Dexter McCoy
Fort Bend County Commissioner, Precinct 4
Volunteer with Team McCoy!
Dexter L. McCoy, a passionate progressive, is running for Fort Bend County commissioner for Precinct 4, to give voice to and advocate for the most diverse county in America. During his tenure as an appointee in the Obama Administration, Dexter spent much of his time focusing on college access issues and implementing the administration’s agenda on addressing harassment in our nation’s schools.
Following his time in Washington, D.C. Dexter returned home to Fort Bend County, committed to bringing his experiences back to better serve the community. Dexter was a district leader in Fort Bend ISD, where he empowered students and families with the tools they needed to build stronger, more connected communities.
Dexter also served as a board member on the Gulf Coast Workforce Development Board, overseeing a budget of nearly $400 Mil in regional workforce development funds to uplift and empower the regional workforce.
Most recently, as chief of staff to the Fort Bend County Judge, Dexter successfully fought for a non-profit grant program and created an $11 Mil public-private partnership with Comcast for expanding internet access, among other key priorities.
Dexter and his wife Chelsea live in Richmond, Texas with their goldendoodle Fitz.
Dolores Lozano
Harris County Justice of the Peace, Pct. 2, Place 2
Volunteer with Team Lozano!
Dolores Lozano (she/her/ella) is a native Houstonian running for Harris County Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2, Place 2 in the 2022 primary election. She is running to make her courtroom convenient, compassionate, and community-centered. Dolores currently manages her own consulting firm that serves nonprofits and small businesses across the country. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, she worked in media, sports, and community development upon becoming a first-generation college graduate of Baylor University in 2014. As an alumna and a current member of the KIPP Texas Board of Directors, she supports youth voices to advance communities across the state. Dolores’ passion for Quality Education and Gender Equality led to her appointment to help launch Impact Hub Houston, a locally rooted, globally connected nonprofit organization working to make Houston a role model for how the world solves its most pressing issues. In her spare time, she serves as a Child Advocate, Young Friend of AVDA (Aid to Victims of Domestic Violence), Houston Area Women’s Center Young Leader, and Junior League of Houston Head Active & Assistant Editor of the Houston News. Her unwavering commitment to the next generation is unmatched, and her rare resiliency remains the greatest resource of all.
Gabrien Gregory
Texas House, District 121
Volunteer with Team Gabrien!
Gabrien Gregory is an educator, Army Reserve officer, and organizer running to bring representation to working families in Texas and HD121. If elected, Gabrien will fight to fund Texas schools, bring a pay increase to teachers, and protect students — whether from the threat of gun violence or a pandemic. Gabrien will sponsor a bill to legalize cannabis and use the $1 billion in revenue in two years to expand healthcare access and lower prescription costs. Gabrien will work to make Texas the leader in clean energy. He will sponsor a statewide non-discrimination bill that covers all Texans. Gabrien lives with his partner Alondra and their two rescue dogs, Luna and Sol.
Graeson Lynskey
Texas House, District 33
Volunteer with Team Lynskey!
Graeson Lynskey is a 4th generation Texan and lifelong resident of Rockwall County running to represent District 33 in the State House.
In May of 2020, in the middle of all the uncertainty at the beginning of the pandemic, Graeson’s father reminded him how important it is to look out for one another and be a good neighbor. Throughout his time working and volunteering on Texas campaigns, Graeson saw first hand how petty, divisive, and small Texas politics have become. He knew it was time for new leadership that rose above all of that and finally put people over politics.
Graeson’s campaign is about putting Texans first. Real solutions to the everyday problems of everyday people that focus on the long term success of our state and our communities. Finally fixing our power grid, protecting the rights of our friends and family members, and supporting our small businesses are just some of the things Graeson is planning to address once he’s elected.
Throughout his life, Graeson has taken a people first approach to the world, volunteering his time to make his community a better place. That lifelong dedication to service, and commitment to helping others, is at the core of his run for HD33.
Jannell Robles
Harris County Criminal Court at Law №2
Volunteer with Team Robles!
Jannell Robles is a bilingual criminal law attorney and a third-generation Harris County resident. She is running for misdemeanor Judge to represent one of the most ethnically diverse counties in the state and believes we need Judges who understand the intersectionality of immigration law with criminal law. Ms. Robles currently serves as an Assistant Public Defender representing indigent persons accused of a crime, and previously served as a prosecutor representing victims of crime. She has also represented individuals seeking asylum and facing deportation. Before becoming an attorney, Ms. Robles worked for civil rights and criminal justice nonprofits, including the Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund and the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition. She has advocated for immigrant rights, civil rights, and smart-on-crime policies such as the Houston Center for Sobriety, a pre-charge diversion initiative. Mr. Robles is familiar with the criminal justice challenges of our time, and she hopes to serve as your next Judge for Harris County Criminal Court at Law №2.
Jessica Huynh
Texas State Judge, 331st District Court
Volunteer with Team Huynh!
Jessica Huynh (pronounced WIN) is a single mom, attorney, and community leader with extensive experience trying felony cases and fighting for a justice system that treats everyone with fairness and compassion. The daughter of Vietnamese refugees, Jessica would make history as the first Asian American elected to serve as a District Judge in Travis County.
Kendall Scudder
Texas House, District 114
Volunteer with Team Scudder!
Kendall Scudder, a community advocate and small business owner, has served on countless community boards and volunteer organizations within east Dallas and the Democratic Party for two decades. Now, Kendall is ready to take his community engagement to the state legislature where he will fight to fully fund our public schools, expand access to healthcare, reduce property taxes, and roll-back the dangerous right-wing agenda that has done so much damage to Texas that we’re struggling to even keep the lights on. Kendall is running for the Texas House in District 114 to put the people of our community first and to get this state back on track.
Lorenzo Sanchez
Texas House, District 70
Volunteer with Team Sanchez!
Lorenzo’s story is that of the American Dream: A first-generation Mexican American, raised by a single mother right here in this district and educated in our public schools, he is a proud Carpenter Cowboy and Plano East Panther, who worked hard to become the owner of a successful small business.
Lorenzo’s values spring from the lessons he learned from observing his mother, who worked two jobs to support her family and made sacrifices to give her children the opportunities she never had. The example she set inspired him to be the voice of hard-working Texans as their elected representative.
Lorenzo is running for Texas State Representative to ensure that the people in our community – and across Texas, have a representative who will finally give everyone a voice in Austin.
Marquis Hawkins
Texas House, District 100
Volunteer with Team Hawkins!
Marquis Hawkins has a lengthy record of fighting for the progressive agenda across Southern Dallas and beyond. Raised in the Dallas area, Marquis knew early on he wanted to dedicate his life to closing the opportunity gap for children, particularly in communities like his own in Oak Cliff. He has worked tirelessly to ensure the doors of opportunity swing open for scores of kids whose fate in life is determined by zip code.
Marquis dove into the education policy arena headfirst when he interned for Dallas Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson through the Congressional Black Caucus Internship program. After college, he worked in a host of Dallas area political offices including for the Mayor as a speechwriter intern and served as the District Director to a Texas State Representative. Professionally, Marquis started his career in the classroom as a Corps Member in Teach For America Houston and since has held positions at Education Pioneers, Dallas ISD, Omni Hotels & Resorts, Harwood International, and American Airlines. Currently, he serves as a State & Local Government Affairs Advisor for Southwest Airlines where he manages a portfolio of 14 states. Marquis earned a Bachelors in Political Science from Morehouse College, a Master in Public Administration from Cornell University, and has completed post-baccalaureate work at the University of Chicago.
Matt Worthington
Texas House, District 51
Volunteer with Team Worthington!
Originally from San Antonio, Matt Worthington has called Southeast Travis County home for eight years, where he and his wife raise their two kids. He’s running to provide bold leadership in one of the legislature’s safest blue seats. As someone raised in poverty by a single Latina, his life’s trajectory was transformed by people who stepped up when he needed them most. He grew up utilizing food banks to put food on the table, unsure of where he’d sleep on a given night for parts of time in high school, and knows what it’s like to experience transformative generosity.
It’s why he dedicated his life to public service. He became a special education teacher and data scientist specializing in public policy data, where he helped nonprofits and progressive organizations address complex policy issues through data. Matt has actively served his community throughout the pandemic and winter storm response as Vice-President of the Del Valle Community Coalition and Vice-Chair for the City’s Early Childhood Council.
His district experiences widespread food insecurity, a dearth of transportation infrastructure, poverty, and growing housing instability on account of record levels of growth in Central Texas. These realities aren’t just part of Matt’s story; there’s nothing safe about them. It’s why he’s running to serve now. District 51 needs leadership that shows up for folks beyond campaign season and won’t settle for safe politics. If elected, he’ll prioritize strengthening public schools, investing in public health, improving infrastructure, and protecting civil rights.
Monica Lupita Perez
Judge of El Paso County Court at Law, №3
Volunteer with Team Perez!
Monica Lupita is an El Pasoan and UTEP graduate who is Day 1 ready to be the Judge of County Court at Law №3. She is a board certified lawyer in labor and employment, which puts her in the top 6% of all Texas lawyers. Monica is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), which is the most prestigious organization of civil trial lawyers where you must have a requisite number of civil jury trial and civil litigation experience. She will understand where each case will leave off and what needs to be done in each particular case in order to move it to finality, and in effect, efficiently move the docket.
If elected, Monica will ensure all parties have equal access to justice because she will follow the law. It will be a Court of equity and impartiality. She has the right experience and is the right choice for County Court at Law №3.
Porscha Natasha Brown
Harris County Judge, Criminal Court №3
Volunteer with Team Brown!
Porscha is a First Generation American and college student who came from two military veteran parents who taught her the importance of a strong work ethic, as well as, providing respect and showing compassion to others regardless of their background. She spends her days working as a dedicated Public Servant, Public Defender, and active fighter for indigent persons and marginalized communities. In her work as a Public Defender, she also trains other Public Defenders on the principles of Client-Centered Defense and holistic representation. Outside of work, she is an active volunteer who works to uplift local organizations and address issues within the Black and LGBTQ+ communities. She plans to bring her hard work ethic, structure, diverse background, and knowledge of the law to ensure the court is fair and just for all. Porscha lives in Houston with her partner and two dogs.
Staci Childs
Texas State Board of Education, District 4
Volunteer with Team Childs!
Staci Childs is a full-time attorney and educator defined by her commitment to service, defending the rights of others, and success in the classroom. She’s running for the State Board of Education, District 4, a district comprised of 1.8 million students, running to address gaps caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, creating a curriculum that sets students up for success in real life, and ensuring an inclusive classroom experience for all students. As one of Houston Independent School District’s 2019 Teacher of the Year, Staci went on to create GirlTalk University, a now nationally recognized program designed to instill confidence and high academic achievement in girls. Staci lives in Houston, Texas with her Sunday-Funday besties, her significant other, and her fur-son, Boseman.
Susanna Woody
Travis County Commissioner, Precinct 4
Volunteer for Susanna!
Susanna is a native Central Texan, born in Austin to working poor parents who, like so many in East Travis County, struggled but did what they could to provide for their family. There were times when her family did not have running water or electricity. Susanna knows what it is like to face income inequality and has taken an active role advocating and volunteering for her community over the last 10 years.
Susanna is a married, working mother with three kids in the Del Valle Independent School District. This district serves a community within Travis County that has areas outside of Austin proper which has contributed to years of neglect in the area. As a founding member and current President of the Del Valle Community Coalition (DVCC), she has led advocacy efforts for residents in Southeast Austin and Travis County. She has advocated for increasing community access to healthy and affordable food, comprehensive healthcare services, equitable conservation of green space, and distributive justice regarding COVID-19 relief and vaccine distribution in Commissioner Precinct 4.
As a school board trustee, she led the efforts to create a district that not only focuses on providing an excellent education for students, but also takes pride in diversity and dreams of each student as well as increased teacher pay, increased healthcare benefits and expanded access to childcare earning her the reputation of the most active member of the board. Now Susanna is ready to bring active, community-informed leadership to the Travis County Commissioner’s Court.
Thomas Garcia
Texas State Board of Education, District 2
Volunteer with Team Garcia!
Thomas Garcia is an educator who has dedicated his life to filling in education gaps for high school students applying to college. As a first-generation, low-income student, Thomas has never forgotten his community in the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas. Since age 19, he has transformed his curriculum on college access from a summer institute to a high school course to a nonprofit organization. He trains young adults to become near-peer mentors to help high school students go to and through college.
He’s running for the open seat on the Texas State Board of Education, District 2 because he has taught in the classroom throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and sees the change we need from the top. He wants to close the gaps in our K-12 education system by expanding mental health resources, moving away from high-stakes testing, and reducing administrative workload on educators and counselors. He wants to enhance Texas’ learning standards for 21st-century skills like digital literacy, computer science, dual language programs, ethnic studies, and service learning.
