Wherever decisions are made about us, they cannot be made without us.
Our members have told us that one of their biggest concerns is the lack of educator input into state-level policies like testing, school funding, licensure, and evaluation. And we have seen the results.
Teachers and school staff must participate in every level of the democratic process so they can have a voice at every table — at the school board, at the state Capitol, in the halls of Congress, and at the ballot box.
November General Election
Texas AFT COPE Endorsements
All endorsements have been recommended by our Texas AFT Committee on Political Education (COPE) and approved by our state federation’s executive council. The following represent Texas AFT COPE’s first round of endorsements for the March 5 primary election. You can expect this page to update with subsequent endorsements as we get closer to the November general election.
Jump to endorsements:
Our Endorsement Process
For a candidate or incumbent to earn Texas AFT’s COPE endorsement, they must demonstrate a solid understanding of and commitment to our members’ priorities, including:
- Fully funded public schools
- Safe, sustainable working conditions
- Wages that reflect the worth of their work
- Rejection of privatization efforts, whether through vouchers or charters
- An end to excessive standardized testing
In deciding on our union’s endorsements, Texas AFT COPE weighs several factors:
- Incumbent voting records on public education issues from the most recent legislative session and previous sessions
- Answers to our candidate questionnaire
- Perspectives from our labor siblings at the Texas AFL-CIO and regional labor councils
- Campaign contributions from individuals and PACs aligned with anti-public education or privatizer viewpoints
Texas AFT COPE does not endorse in all races. Our primary focus is on the Texas Legislature, the State Board of Education, and other statewide offices. Sometimes we also endorse congressional candidates.
AFT national endorses in the presidential election and, at our national convention in Houston, became the first union to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency, and our local unions may endorse candidates for their local school boards or other community offices.
Endorsements for U.S. Congress
Texas AFT is proud to endorse a slate of pro-public education candidates for U.S. Congress. Nationally, Congress sets several important policies that affect Texas educators including standardized testing requirements, education funding grants, and Social Security fairness, among many others. It is vital that Texas sends a pro-public education delegation to Washington, D.C.
U.S. Senate
- Rep. Colin Allred
U.S. House
- Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, D-CD 7
- Laura Jones, D-CD 8
- Rep. Al Green, D-CD 9
- Theresa Boisseau, D-CD 10
- Michelle Vallejo, D-CD 15
- Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-CD 16
- Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-CD 18
- Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-CD 20
- Marquette Greene-Scott, D-CD 22
- Sam Eppler, D-CD 24
- Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-CD 29
- Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-CD 30
- Julie Johnson, D-CD 32
- Rep. Marc Veasey, D-CD 33
- Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-CD 34
- Rep. Greg Casar, D-CD 35
- Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-CD 37
- Melissa McDonough, D-CD 38
Earning Our Union’s Endorsement
Spotlight: Rep. Gina Hinojosa
Your children’s teachers, bus drivers, school nurses, adjunct professors, librarians, and more have generously put their checkbooks to work, trying to elect real public education allies to office. Texas AFT COPE takes our job as a steward of those dollars seriously, and we only endorse candidates and incumbents who share a similar commitment.
Endorsements for Texas Legislature
The Texas Legislature controls school funding formulas, curriculum requirements, and class size limits, among a variety of other issues. It is vital that we make sure candidates who support public education are elected to both chambers of the Legislature.
Railroad Commissioner
- Katherine Culbert
Texas Supreme Court
- DaSean Jones, Court 2
- Christine Vinh Weems, Court 4
- Bonnie Lee Goldstein, Court 6
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
- Holly Taylor, Presiding Judge
Texas Senate
- Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-SD 6
- Rachel Mello, D-SD 8
- Stephanie Draper, D-SD 12
- Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-SD 14
- Rep. Jarvis Johnson, D-SD 15
- Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-SD 16
- Sen. Royce West, D-SD 23
- Sen. Morgan LaMantia, D-SD 27
- Sen. César Blanco, D-SD 29
Texas House
- Fred Medina, D-HD 14
- Desiree Venable, D-HD 17
- Rep. Christian Manuel, D-HD 22
- Rep. Ron Reynolds, D-HD 27
- Adrienne Bell, D-HD 29
- Solomon Ortiz, D-HD 34
- Rep. Erin Gamez, D-HD 38
- Rep. Mando Martinez, D-HD 39
- Rep. Terry Canales, D-HD 40
- Rep. R.D. “Bobby” Guerra, D-HD 41
- Rep. Erin Zwiener, D-HD 45
- Rep. Sheryl Cole, D-HD 46
- Rep. Vikki Goodwin, D-HD 47
- Rep. Donna Howard, D-HD 48
- Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-HD 49
- Rep. James Talarico, D-HD 50
- Rep. Lulu Flores, D-HD 51
- Jennie Birkholz, D-HD 52
- Dawn Richardson, D-HD 54
- Jennifer Alicia Lee, D-HD 55
- Erin Shank, D-HD 56
- Michelle Beckley, D-HD 63
- Detrick Deburr, D-HD 65
- Rep. Mihaela Plesa, D-HD 70
- Rep. Eddie Morales, D-HD 74
- Rep. Mary E. Gonzalez, D-HD 75
- Rep. Suleman Lalani, D-HD 76
- Rep. Joe Moody, D-HD 78
- Rep. Claudia Ordaz, D-HD 79
- Rep. Ramon Romero Jr., D-HD 90
- Rep. Salman Bhojani, D-HD 92
- Perla Bojorquez, D-HD 93
- Rep. Nicole Collier, D-HD 95
- Dr. Carlos Walker, D-HD 97
- Scott Bryan White, D-HD 98
- Rep. Venton Jones, D-HD 100
- Rep. Chris Turner, D-HD 101
- Rep. Ana-Maria Ramos, D-HD 102
- Rep. Rafael Anchía, D-HD 103
- Rep. Jessica Gonzalez, D-HD 104
- Rep. Thresa “Terry” Meza, D-HD 105
- Linda Garcia, D-HD 107
- Elizabeth Ginsberg, D-HD 108
- Aicha Davis, D-HD 109
- Rep. Toni Rose, D-HD 110
- Rep. Yvonne Davis, D-HD 111
- Averie Bishop, D-HD 112
- Rep. Rhetta A. Bowers, D-HD 113
- Rep. John Bryant, HD 114
- Cass Hernandez, D-HD 115
- Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-HD 116
- Rep. Philip Cortez, D-HD 117
- Kristian Carranza, D-HD 118
- Laurel Jordan Swift, D-HD 121
- Rep. Diego Bernal, D-HD 123
- Rep. Josey Garcia, D-HD 124
- Rep. Ray Lopez, D-HD 125
- Rep. Alma Allen, D-HD 131
- Chase West, D-HD 132
- Rep. Ann Johnson, D-HD 134
- Rep. Jon E. Rosenthal, D-HD 135
- Rep. John H. Bucy III, D-HD 136
- Rep. Gene Wu, D-HD 137
- Stephanie Morales, D-HD 138
- Charlene Ward Johnson, D-HD 139
- Rep. Armando L. Walle, D-HD 140
- Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-HD 141
- Rep. Ana Hernandez, D-HD 143
- Rep. Mary Ann Perez, D-HD 144
- Rep. Christina Morales, D-HD 145
- Lauren Simmons, D-HD 146
- Rep. Jolanda Jones, D-HD 147
- Rep. Penny Morales Shaw, D-HD 148
- Rep. Hubert Vo, D-HD 149
Earning Our Union’s Endorsement
Spotlight: Rep. John Bryant
The 88th Legislature has been a lost session for public education. Without significant educator engagement in the 2024 election cycle, the 89th Legislature could be its death knell. Texas AFT COPE endorsements represent our union’s respect for candidates and lawmakers who see this crisis for what it is.
Endorsements for State Board of Education
From curriculum standards to educator certification assessments, the State Board of Education (SBOE) has a large effect on the day-to-day working conditions of educators. That’s why we need a board that understands the struggles of educators.
- Gustavo Reveles, D-District 1
- Marisa Perez-Diaz, D-District 3
- Raquel Saenz Ortiz, D-District 10
- Rayna Glasser, D-District 11
- George King, D-District 12
- Dr. Tiffany Clark, D-District 13
- Morgan Kirkpatrick, D-District 15
Pol. adv. paid for by Texas AFT COPE
Texas AFT under state law is not allowed to use member dues money for political contributions to candidates. So voluntary contributions from members to the Committee on Political Education (COPE) are the only means to provide direct financial support to candidates.