So, just what does the attorney general do? The Texas attorney general (AG) is the top law enforcement officer for our state and serves as the people’s lawyer — a representative for the public’s interests. The AG has the power to hold politicians accountable for any wrongdoings and can promote justice and equality by advocating for policies that benefit our communities.
And what does that have to do with public education? Consider that Ken Paxton, our state’s current attorney general who has been indicted on three felony charges for securities fraud, has spent a large part of his office’s time and resources suing school districts for enforcing mask mandates and persecuting transgender students and their families.
For these reasons, among many, our union’s Committee on Political Education endorses Rochelle Garza for attorney general this November.
Garza is a fronteriza and lifelong fighter for the border communities of the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. Raised in Brownsville, Garza is the daughter of two public school teachers. She became a lawyer for the people — fighting for children, immigrants, and families as a civil rights lawyer.
Garza is active on county and statewide boards, including Jane’s Due Process, the State Bar of Texas’ Laws Relating to Immigration and Nationality Committee, and the Cameron County Bar Association. If you want to get to know her better, we recommend listening to this in-depth interview, in which Garza discusses why she’s running and how she would contrast with Paxton’s “power grab” as the state’s lawyer.