Texas House races
Three swing districts are up for grabs and will give voters a chance to have their say.
Most legislative races involve gerrymandered seats where the outcome is almost certain. However, there are three Houston-area races for the Texas House of Representatives where challengers actually stand a chance.
House District 23: Lloyd Criss
The next time you’re staring down at a shrimp cocktail, think of state Rep. Wayne Faircloth. Thanks to the first-term Republican representative, that tasty Texas Gulf shrimp is now the official state crustacean of Texas. Voters in this oceanside district, which covers parts of Galveston County and all of Chambers County, should want a representative who has bigger fish to fry up in Austin.
We endorse Lloyd Criss, a Democrat whom Texas Monthly rated as an outstanding freshman legislator back in 1979, the first of his six terms in office. Now the legislative expert wants to jump back into the game to fight for public education and a better funding mechanism for community colleges. Criss, 75, also says that he will hold the line on windstorm insurance. Faircloth did not meet for an endorsement interview.
House District 134: Sarah Davis
The question that voters have to answer in this race is whether they want a representative who can work within the system, or a challenger who will try to change it. This wealthy, highly educated district covers the Heights, River Oaks, West University, Bellaire and Meyerland, and its voters aren’t hungry for the usual Republican red meat issues. Instead, state Rep. Sarah Davis, an attorney, has spent her three terms focusing on mental health, ethics reform and the needs of the Texas Medical Center.
Davis, 40, told the editorial board that Texas is a deep-red state, and she insists on pushing an agenda that exists within the realm of the politically possible.
There’s a list of do-or-die issues that Houston needs to pass through the Legislature this upcoming session, such as pension reform and saving the Houston Independent School District from a broken funding system. Davis has the policy chops, seniority and close relationship with Speaker Joe Straus to push those changes through.
Our decision to endorse Davis is difficult. Democratic challenger, Ben Rose, has the makings of an excellent representative. An environmental law attorney, Rose is running a top-notch campaign that offers an appealing message to anyone who isn’t content living in a state where infrastructure is crumbling, education is underfunded and the attorney general is under indictment for fraud. Democrats need to find more candidates like him. House District 144: Mary Ann Perez
This is an easy one. Mary Ann Perez, 54, lost her first reelection race two years ago after running a lackluster campaign against perennial candidate Gilbert Peña. Voters should put the former Houston Community College trustee back in her seat representing this heavily Hispanic district that stretches from Pasadena across the Houston Ship Channel to Baytown. A self-described pro-business Democrat, Perez wants to focus on job training and education for her blue-collar constituents and the petrochemical industry.
In contrast, Peña spent the last session trying to pass a “bathroom bill,” earning him the title of legislative “loser” by the Houston Press. Peña did not meet for an endorsement interview.