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Fresh Faces from Houston in the Texas Legislature

Published Jan 09, 2025 by Jordan Overturf

Austin Texas Capitol

It’s January in an odd-numbered year in Texas, meaning a freshman class of lawmakers is getting ready to take seats in Austin. To catch you up ahead of the 89th Texas Legislature swearing-in on January 14, here is a quick introduction to the newest members representing the Greater Houston Partnership’s regional footprint. 

New-ish in the Senate 

A November surprise will bring three new members to the upper chamber. However, the Houston area’s newest member is already ahead of her class because of a special election. 

State Sen. Molly Cook was sworn in on May 16, taking now-Mayor John Whitmire’s seat, who resigned from Senate District 15 to pursue his bid for mayor. The resulting special election and victory allowed Sen. Cook to step into her new role and get acclimated months before the Session officially begins.   

Click here to learn more about Sen. Molly Cook

Also joining the upper chamber will be Sen. Brent Hagenbuch from North Texas and Sen. Adam Hinajosa from the Gulf Coast. 

Full House with Lots of Freshmen 

A full 20% of the incoming members of the Texas House will be freshman lawmakers. Six of those new members represent districts located in the Partnership’s 12-county regional footprint: 

Jeffrey Barry (HD 29), Janis Holt (HD 18), Matt Morgan (HD 26), Lauren Ashley Simmons (HD 146), Charlene Ward Johnson (HD 139) and Trey Wharton (HD 12) will cast their first votes as state representatives on January 14.  

Getting to Know You 

The Capitol belongs to the people of Texas, but navigating it can be challenging. Here are some helpful links to navigate your way through state leadership: 

Who represents me? Use this link provided by the state to find out who represents you at the state and federal levels. 

House Members? Use this link to the Texas House website to find members and their contact information and even send a direct message. 

Senate Members? Use this link to the Texas Senate website for a directory of members, office contacts and more. 

Read all the bills! Use this link to search for legislation, get alerts for committee hearings, and review the public debate on specific bills. 

 

For more updates and alerts on the Texas Legislature, click here to sign up for our weekly newsletter. 

 

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