Governor Greg Abbott has declared victory in his voucher fight, but Texas Democrats are gearing up to flip enough seats in November to stop the Governor’s top priority.
There are a little more than a dozen races to follow, and according to State Representative Gina Hinojosa, only three more Democratic seats are needed to block vouchers again.
“We need to elect about three more Democrats to the Texas House to defeat vouchers and defend our neighborhood public schools,” she said.
One of these flippable seats is House District 112, where former Miss Texas, Averie Bishop, is challenging the incumbent state Rep. Angie Chen Button, R-Richardson.
Who is Averie Bishop?
Bishop is the daughter of a Filipino immigrant mother and a fifth-generation Texan father. Bishop attended Southern Methodist University (SMU) for college and law school, becoming the first Asian American to hold the title of Miss Texas.
During her reign, she made headlines by speaking out on controversial issues such as guns, racism, and reproductive rights, which helped raise her profile and pave the way for her political career. Last August, she entered the Democratic primary for Texas House District 112 in Dallas County, a seat held since 2009 by Republican Angie Chen Button from Richardson.
She made history as the first Asian contestant to win Miss Texas in the pageant’s 85-year history. If elected, she would also become the first Filipino American to serve in the Texas Legislature.
Her journey into politics began in 2016 when Donald Trump was elected president.
“I started off as an acting major at Texas State University, but in 2016 Donald Trump was elected, and I made the commitment to someday run for office. So in 2017, I transferred to SMU, because I knew that North Texas, which is where I’m from, was where I wanted to run,” Bishop told Texas Monthly in an interview. At SMU, she majored in human rights, studied the Holocaust in Poland, traveled across the Deep South following Martin Luther King Jr.’s footsteps, and wrote an honors thesis on comprehensive sexual education in Texas.
When talking to the Texas Monthly Bishop also emphasized the importance of state-level politics: “A lot of people are like, ‘Why aren’t you running at the federal level?’ But they don’t understand that the state level is where it’s at. Our public schools are underfunded? That’s the state. The roads suck? That’s the state. You don’t have access to health care? That’s state budget allocation.”
She finds the dynamic nature of the State House inspiring: “In the State House, we’ve got people having open discussions in the middle of votes on bills. That’s democracy in its purest form. That, to me, is when miracles happen.”
In her run for office, Bishop aims to protect Texas youth, ensure economic prosperity, fight for affordable healthcare, and safeguard our environment against the climate emergency. Her platform reflects a deep understanding of Texas’ population and the need for leadership that truly represents its communities.
“I know what it’s like to grow up in a small town and never see leaders who looked like me, let alone who fought for me,” Bishop said in a statement. “It’s time for the next generation of Texans to lead — to protect our state’s environment and economy, to safeguard our schools and our right to education, and to truly represent the majority of this great state.”
You can learn more about Averie Bishop on her website, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
The Most Winnable Seat In Texas?
So, why is Bishop marketing her campaign as “The most winnable seat in Texas”? It might have to do with her opponents’ campaign history.
In 2020, Button won reelection by less than 300 votes, while President Joe Biden carried her district by 9 percentage points.
Redistricting efforts have made the district more conservative. Under the new boundaries, Biden would have lost the district by a narrow margin of less than 1 point. Despite this shift, Button managed to secure a victory over her Democratic challenger last year, winning by only 10 points.
Additionally, HD112 has another factor working in the Democrats’ favor: Dallas County is the home turf of Colin Allred, who is running for Ted Cruz’s Senate seat. This connection is expected to provide a significant boost to down-ballot candidates in the area.
Button’s voting history reflects her far-right alignment with the wealthy. She is anti-worker and anti-civil rights. Because of her anti-worker, pro-millionaire positions, she’s typically a favorite by PACs led by the Republican establishment.
The Lone Star Left’s Newsletter examined Button’s positions and voting history to outline her stance on various issues:
- Pro-vouchers
- Anti-democratic
- Anti-civil rights
- Pro-oil
- A climate change denier
- Anti-worker
- Anti-immigrant
- Anti-healthcare
- Pro-billionaire
The competitiveness of the district is also reflected in the significant fundraising battle between Bishop and Button.
Button, who chairs the International Relations & Economic Development Committee, raised $201,000, spent $17,000, and has $780,000 cash on hand.
Hardcore Button donor Felix Chen, CEO of PAJ, gave $20,000, Hillwood Chair Ross Perot, Jr. gave $5,000, Sen. Mayes Middleton gave $2,500, Dallas Police Officer PAC gave $1,500 and Former Rep. Linda Koop gave $1,000.
Meanwhile, Bishop raised $191,000, spent $75,000, and has $106,000 cash on hand. Former EDS Vice Chairman Gary Fernandes, philanthropist Amy Fikes, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers PAC, and United Food and Commercial Workers International Union each gave $5,000. Congressman Lloyd Doggett gave $500, Lone Star Project gave $15,000 in kind and the Texas Democratic Party gave $27,000 in kind.
