2022 Democratic candidates

CLAUDIA ANDREANA ZAPATA

The daughter of working class Tejanos, Claudia grew up cleaning toilets, picking citrus, and caring for her grandpa in hospice. She was raised to believe in the core Texan values of family, hard work, and taking care of others.  Claudia has experience fighting for families. She developed policy at the Texas Capitol as a legislative aide, is an active non-profit volunteer and community organizer, and is an experienced workforce & budget analyst for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.

BETO O'ROURKE

Beto O’Rourke is a fourth-generation Texan, born and raised in El Paso where he has served as a small business owner, a city council representative and a member of Congress. He founded and currently leads Powered by People, a Texas-based organization that works to expand democracy and produce Democratic victories through voter registration and direct voter engagement. Powered by People has helped register over 250,000 unregistered Texans to vote since its inception in December 2019. Beto is married to Amy O’Rourke and together they are raising Ulysses, Molly and Henry in El Paso’s historic Sunset Heights.

MIKE COLLIER

Mike Collier was born and raised in rural America where he learned the importance of family, freedom, and hard work. The Colliers established roots in Georgetown in Williamson County, which at the time was a small town of just 7,500. As a student, he quickly developed a life-long love of music and became a state renowned trumpet player in the Georgetown Eagles marching band.   Like all the Collier children, he went on to a Texas public university, attending the University of Texas at Austin where he marched in the Longhorn Band and met the love of his life, Suzanne.

ROCHELLE MERCEDES GARZA

She is the daughter of two public school teachers who taught Rochelle to have faith, work hard, and that every person is deserving of dignity and respect.  Her oldest brother, Robby, suffered a brain injury during childbirth and grew up with disabilities.  Her mother left teaching to care for Robby.  Access to affordable health care was absolutely critical.  But time after time, Robby was denied coverage for his most basic needs, even a wheelchair lift to get him to school. So she became a lawyer for the people — fighting for children, immigrants, and families as a civil rights lawyer. She fought to keep families together during devastating “zero tolerance” immigration policies of family separation and denying access to asylum.   ​Rochelle has fought for reproductive rights for immigrant teens in detention, including the Garza v. Hargan case in which Rochelle was the guardian for Jane Doe, a pregnant 17-year-old denied the right to choose. A month-long legal battle ensued when Donald Trump staged an unprecedented intervention to try to stop Jane from making the decision that was hers alone to make.  On Jane’s behalf, Rochelle fought in courts in Texas and Washington, DC.  She even took on Justice Brett Kavanaugh for deciding against Jane and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton who tried to meddle in the case. And she won — giving Jane and many others like her the opportunity to exercise their lawful rights and the chance at a better life. Teens in immigration custody are now given the “Garza Notice,” informing them of their right to access abortion without obstruction or retaliation.  ​She served as a board member of the Moody Clinic, a rehabilitation services provider for children with disabilities, and was the Chair of the Ethics Advisory Commission for the City of Brownsville.  Rochelle was a staff attorney at the ACLU of Texas and a managing partner of Garza & Garza Law, PLLC. Rochelle graduated from the University of Houston Law Center and from Brown University with honors.  She lives in Brownsville with her husband, Adam, and their dog, Ramses.

JANET T. DUDDING

Janet Dudding is a CPA who began her governmental accounting career with the Office of the State Auditor investigating allegations that governmental officials had embezzled taxpayer money or taken kickbacks. She’s spent her professional life holding governments accountable to people, not special interests. As a single mother, she earned her BSBA-Accounting from the University of Southern Mississippi and her MBA from Millsaps College.  Janet’s Texas roots run deep through her maternal grandmother, a first-generation Texan born in El Campo over 125 years ago, and her paternal great-grandmother, who was born in Texas over 170 years ago.  After suffering devastating losses in Bay St. Louis-Waveland, MS during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, she and James, her husband of 31 years, relocated to Bryan-College Station. James joined Texas A&M University’s Department of Civil Engineering faculty and Janet worked for the City of College Station as their Budget Manager, then their Asst. Director of Finance. She returned to Waveland when she answered their crisis call for financial help. Within two years, she helped Waveland earn a clean audit opinion, build cash reserves and re-hire their workforce before returning to Bryan-College Station. Upon her return, she began her work with Texas A&M University.  Janet took early retirement from Texas A&M University (through Teachers’ Retirement System) to run for office. Janet is treasurer of the College Station Noon Lion’s Club, on the Executive Board of the Brazos County Branch of the NAACP, and a member of the Bryan Rotary Club, the Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce, the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, Governmental Financial Officers Association of Texas, the Texas A&M Women’s Club, the A&M Garden Club, the Arts Council of the Brazos Valley, the Brazos Valley African American Museum, and Brazos County Retired School Personnel. Janet was also a Master Gardener and Master Naturalist. Janet and James are members of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Bryan.

JAY KLEBERG

I’m a father to three beautiful daughters, Sophia, Katherine, and Amelia, and a husband to my wonderful wife, Chrissy Kleberg. I’m running for Texas Land Commissioner because I believe that the science behind climate change is real, and we don’t have time for inaction. I was born in South Texas and raised on my family’s working ranch, the King Ranch. As a sixth-generation Texan, I started working cattle when I was 5 years old. Growing up in an agricultural community taught me the value of hard work and getting the job done right. It also gave me a deep respect for Texas, the land, and people from all walks of life. As I got older, I quickly realized that our individual freedoms do not negate our responsibility to one another. We have to take initiative and ensure that our great state will thrive for generations to come. The passion I gained for environmental advocacy as a child has led me to a more than decade-long career in conservation. As the former Associate Director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, our team lead the largest land acquisition for conservation purposes in Texas history. The 17,000-acre piece of land is now a publiclyaccessible wildlife haven located 150 miles southwest of Houston. During my tenure, we raised more than $100 million to conserve Texas’ wild things and wild places. I’ve spent my entire life working to protect and preserve this beautiful state. From my time on the ranch as a kid, to my work with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, to the environmental advocacy curriculum I’ve helped develop for a new feature film called Deep in the Heart: A Texas Wildlife Story, it’s clear that we are in a crisis and Texas has the unique ability to lead the way in addressing climate change.

SUSAN HAYS

Rural Texas is home to me and where I’ve finally returned. But in the meantime, I went off to the University of Texas at Austin, then to the Georgetown Law School, and started a career in advocacy.  I was a Legislative Aide at the Texas Legislature and clerked at the Texas Supreme Court. I started private practice at Akin Gump Strauss, Hauer and Feld, LLP in Dallas. During that time, I co-founded Jane’s Due Process, a legal services non-profit for pregnant minors. I’ve written legal briefs on marriage equality, immigration, and reproductive rights, and represented Harris County in its efforts to make voting easy and accessible during the pandemic. I fight for people’s fundamental rights - always. I helped write and pass the Texas hemp legalization bill in 2019, and I know the smart way to open the door to this high-value crop is to protect public health and safety and maximize the economic opportunity for Texans.  I wear quite a few legal hats including being Board Certified in Legislative and Campaign Law, a specialty that focuses on ethics. Ethics isn’t negotiable, and it’s one of the reasons I decided to run for this office.

LUKE WARFORD

Luke was raised by his mother, a preschool teacher, and his grandfather, a pediatrician, who taught Luke about the value of helping others. Luke’s dad owned a CD store, and when technology changed and the store had to close, Luke saw first hand the impact a changing economy can have on a family. Most recently, Luke ran one of the largest voter registration programs in Texas history. During Winter Storm Uri, Luke saw Texas values in action - Texans quick to help their neighbors get through the storm. And he was also enraged by the failure of Texas’ elected officials to take responsibility or look out for Texans. Luke studied economics and political science because he understood how the intersection of those two fields have such a significant impact on people’s lives. He started his career as an organizer on the 2012 Obama campaign, but has spent most of his career in the private sector, working to help businesses grow and create more jobs around the world while also remaining accountable to their customers.

ERIN A. NOWELL

Justice Erin Nowell serves on the Fifth District Court of Appeals, Place 5, an appellate court that reviews criminal, civil and family cases from Dallas, Collin, Grayson, Hunt, Kaufman and Rockwall counties.    Justice Nowell was first elected in 2018 to a six-year term. She is seeking the 2022 Democratic nomination for Texas Supreme Court. Prior to her service on the bench, Justice Nowell was a trial attorney and law firm partner for 15 years.    As an attorney, Justice Nowell was selected as a Texas Super Lawyer Rising Star from 2015-2017. She was also named one of the National Bar Association's Top 40 Advocates Under 40, and was honored with the 2018 Texas Women Lawyers Brenda Tso Rising Young Lawyer Award.    Justice Nowell is a graduate of Wake Forest University and the University of Texas School of Law. She is active in numerous professional organizations, the community, and the Democratic Party.

AMANDA REICHEK]

Justice Amanda Reichek was first elected to the Fifth District Court of Appeals in 2018, where she has authored hundreds of well-reasoned opinions, while serving on the panel of hundreds more. She has a reputation for being well-prepared, humble, and for working collaboratively with her colleagues and the greater legal community.  Justice Reichek is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law, and before she joined the court, she spent much of her legal career advocating for the rights of employees and labor unions.  While in graduate school, Justice Reichek grew increasingly passionate about the labor movement, and eventually decided she could serve the movement best by becoming a lawyer.  In 2003 she graduated, with honors, from Texas Tech University School of Law. During law school, she clerked for the Houston Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO and Texas Rural Legal Aid, a non-profit law firm that advocates on behalf of migrant farmworkers.    Following law school, Justice Reichek worked for several prominent employment law firms and eventually started her own practice. Throughout her private practice, Justice Reichek represented exclusively employees and labor unions.  In her free time, Justice Reichek enjoys what her fiancé calls "kitchen experiments" and playing with their three-legged dog, Rudy.

JULIA MALDONADO

Judge Maldonado has been licensed to practice law for over twenty years and practiced for eighteen years before first being elected Judge in 2016 The J. Maldonado Law Firm, P.C. was a general legal practice firm, representing clients in Texas state and federal courts in the areas of immigration, criminal-defense, family, tax, and probate matters. Prior to establishing the law firm, Julia was a solo practitioner. During her years of practice as an attorney, Judge Maldonado had the privilege to appeal several cases to Texas Court of Appeals and a case to the Texas Supreme Court.  Prior to Judge Maldonado becoming an attorney she worked as accountant in the construction industry for over fifteen years.  Judge Maldonado has been a member of the State Bar of Texas since 1998 and is Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 2012. Judge Maldonado is a member of The College of the State Bar of Texas, the Houston Bar Association, the Mexican American Bar Association of Houston and has been a member of the Pasadena Bar Association. Judge Maldonado is a member of the University Area Rotary Club. Prior to being elected, Julia was of counsel for the Rotary Firefighter Home Project.  Judge Maldonado is the proud mother of two sons, a daughter-in-law and two grandsons. 

DANA HUFFMAN

Judge Dana Huffman is a respected attorney and municipal judge in the North Texas area. She has 25 years of combine legal and judicial experience.    Judge Huffman has presided over hundreds of bench and jury trials. She currently serves as a municipal judge and magistrate for five cities, and as a prosecutor for three cities.    Judge Huffman has served as a faculty member for the Texas Municipal Court Education Center. She is a graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University with a BA in Business Administration, and she earned her law degree at Texas A&M School of Law (previously Texas Wesleyan).    Judge Huffman is actively involved in community service. Her work includes service on the City of Richardson Animal Shelter Advisory Commission, the Take Me Home Pet Rescue Board, the Richardson Humane Society, and volunteering for Respect-A-Bull, an anti-bullying organization.

ROBERT JOHNSON

I am the judge of the 177th Criminal District Court in Harris County. I was born in New York City, but I have lived in Houston for the past 40 years. After graduating from Sharpstown High School, I attended the University of Houston and obtained a bachelor’s degree in Business and Commerce in 1990.  I worked in the private sector from 1990 through 1998. I received my law degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law in 2001. While in law school, I had the opportunity to do an internship with the Fort Bend District Attorney’s Office. After finishing law school, I opened up my own practice. Prior to becoming a judge, I did criminal defense work for 13 years.  I will make my ruling based upon the law and remain fair/impartial at all times.

ROSA LOPEZ THEOFANIS

A lifelong Democrat, Rosa is a local Democratic party club member, and long-time union member. A career public servant, Rosa has served the people of Travis County for close to fifteen years, as an Assistant District and County Attorney. An experienced litigator, Rosa has successfully prosecuted more than twenty jury trials and dozens of appeals, civil and criminal.

ROBERT WALSH

Robert Walsh was raised in Dripping Springs, Texas. Robert attended Dripping Springs High School and the University of Texas - Austin. He has seen Central Texas change over the years. It was here that he learned the skills needed to start his career.  It is also where he found the love of his life, Jennifer Neal.   Bringing expertise to government. An entrepreneur, Robert has run several businesses.  He has made the tough calls about where to allocate resources. His eye toward the bottom line would be even better used working to make sure that the legislature works for you. Robert is a professional software engineer. There is currently a profound lack of technical sophistication in our statehouse.  Our legislature is in dire need of senators and representatives who understand the challenges in technology today and into the future.  Robert is committed to bringing his wealth of knowledge to the statehouse.    

PAM BAGGETT

Pam is a journalism graduate of The University of Texas. She worked as a reporter as well as in public affairs for state government, hospitals, professional associations, and FEMA. She also owned her own small business for public affairs and crisis management. Pam was honored to win multiple honors from her professional association, serving on the local and national boards.  She became interested in psychiatric services and joined the National Alliance on Mental Health, teaching the Family to Family class for four years, and now in the 14th year leading a support group comprised of the families from the final class.  ​  Her two grown sons are her pride and joy. She was involved in their Scouting and still proudly has one of their Cub Scout uniforms. With the addition of two grandsons, Pam has warmed many a bleacher seat.  ​  Pam lived in two southwest Austin neighborhoods serving on the board of each HOA. When her husband retired they built a home in a rural area of the Hill Country. 

REBECCA BELL-METEREAU

Dr. Rebecca Bell-Metereau, a dedicated teacher, serves on the Texas State Board of Education.  Rebecca and her husband, Dr. Jean-Pierre Metereau—a Vietnam veteran—believe in service. After receiving bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Indiana University, they taught in Peace Corps Chad and translated for U.S. Air Force grain flights. Completing doctorates from Indiana University, they joined the faculty at Texas State and Texas Lutheran universities. Rebecca was Visiting Professor at the University of Oklahoma (1997), and Fulbright Scholar in Senegal (1999-2000). Rebecca is devoted to education, research and writing. She developed and now directs the English Department Media Studies Minor and served as Special Assistant to the President (1995-97) for student retention. She has published four scholarly books, 32 essays and book chapters.