State Rep. Venton Jones trounced his opponent in this week’s election. And we have a new LGBTQ+ member of the Legislature. And Maggie Ellis was elected chief justice of the very conservative Texas Supreme Court.
Venton Jones
Of all the Dallas LGBTQ+ candidates running, only Venton Jones had an Election Day opponent.
Omar Narvaez had four others running against him in the primary. He faced one of those candidates in a runoff. But on Election Day, he and Sara Martinez were unopposed.
In the Legislature, Rep. Jessica Gonzalez ran without opposition.
But Jones, who served as Minority Whip in the Texas House last session, faced an opponent and he took the challenge seriously. More than anything, he block walked, meeting his constituents, listening to their concerns and shaking their hands.
When HRC president and CEO Kelley Robinson was in Dallas this week doing some last minute campaigning, she said one of the people she was here supporting was Jones.
All of the campaigning worked because he won his election with more than 89 percent of the vote.
“Tonight, the people of Texas House District 100 have spoken with a clear, resounding voice. I am deeply humbled, honored, and energized by the overwhelming trust you have placed in me,” he said in his victory speech on election night.
Maggie Ellis
Maggie Ellis was elected Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court. She’s the first woman elected to lead the court and is the first LGBTQ+ person elected statewide in Texas. Ellis is bi.
Eliz Markowitz
Elizabeth “Eliz” Markowitz will become the newest LGBTQ+ member of the Texas House of Representatives. This was a long fought battle for Markowitz, who’s been running for the seat since 2019.
In 2019, the race was closely watched and labeled the seat most likely to flip. In an article in Dallas Voice, we headlined one article about Markowitz, the “race is most-watched Texas contest.”
Markowitz finally will get her chance at becoming a legislator after winning her race against incumbent Matt Morgan by just 279 votes.
Congratulations to the newest member of the Texas House’s LGBTQ Caucus.
— David Taffet