Out candidate wins seat in Texas Legislature in special election

Jolanda Jones

Jolanda Jones won a special election for House District 147. Jones, who previously served on the Houston City Council, is out and ran with the endorsement of the LGBT Victory Fund.

The election was held to fill the seat vacated by long time state Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston. Coleman retired for health reasons.

Jones won the seat by 202 votes over opponent Danielle Keys Bess. The two face each other again next week in the runoff for the Democratic nomination for the seat for next term to be decided in the November election.

Jones term runs through the year. That makes her the seventh out member of the Texas Legislature. She becomes the first Black LGBT member of the Texas House of Representatives.

— David Taffet