Wendy Davis, best known for filibustering an anti-abortion bill in pink Mizuno running shoes for more than 13 hours, is running for Congress against Republican Chip Roy.
The seat, notably, is one of six the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has targeted to flip from red to blue. Roy won his election last year by a mere three points.
“I’m running for Congress because people’s voices are still being silenced,” Davis said in her campaign trailer. “I’m running for our children and grandchildren, so they can live and love and fight for change themselves.” In her video she ties little pink shoes on her baby grandaughter.
In 2013, Davis rose to political stardom after she filibustered a regressive anti-abortion bill for almost half a day on the Senate floor. In 2014, Davis unsuccessfully ran for governor against then-candidate Greg Abbott. Davis is making her return to politics in an attempt to unseat Roy, a sophomoric freshman member of Congress and former staffer for Sen. Ted Cruz and Attorney General Ken Paxton.
In his short time in Congress, Roy has already voted in line with Trump 92 percent of the time. He also blocked a disaster spending bill meant to help Texas continue to recover from Hurricane Harvey.
Roy reacted to Davis’ entry into the race Monday on Twitter.
“Wendy Davis’ radical & extreme views will no doubt excite the likes of Nancy Pelosi & other DC liberals,” he wrote.
On her campaign site, Davis outlined some of the problems she would address as a member of Congress. “I think about the Texas families who are struggling in silence as the cost of healthcare continues to rise and for whom college tuition feels out of reach,” Davis wrote.
Photo by Wendy Davis
Fernando covers Texas politics and government at the Texas Signal. Before joining the Signal, Fernando spent two years at the Houston Chronicle and previously interned at Houston’s NPR station News 88.7. He is a graduate of the University of Houston, Jack J. Valenti School of Communication, and enjoys reading, highlighting things, and arguing on social media. You can follow him on Twitter at @fernramirez93 or email at fernando@texassignalarchive.com
