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| Will the person who sits in this seat know how you feel about LGBT issues? |
The one thing that is certain after Tuesday's primary election is that next year's Texas Legislature will not be last year's Texas Legislature.
In the House we knew that 31 incumbent members would not return for the 2013 legislative session. Tuesday night an additional 6 incumbents lost their races to primary challengers and 4 were forced into run-offs.
On the Senate Side 4 incumbents are not running for re-election and one, Sen. Jeff Wentworth (R, San Antonio), was forced into a runoff primary.
So of the 183 faces in the Texas Legislature at least 41 of them will be new come January 8, 2013 when the 83rd legislature convenes, and that's before the general election ever takes place.
This upheavel makes it more important than ever that LGBT people and our allies communicate with elected officials (and candidates). Many of the new people in the legislature are relative newcomers who have never sat down and thought about the need for employment and housing protections for transgender Texans (which 70% of Texas voters support) or about how our laws take away the rights of LGBT parents (an issue that 69% of Texas voters think needs to be addressed). We must bring these issues to their attention.
The Texas Tribune has an excellent bracket of the various legislative races. Check out who's running to represent you and make sure they hear about your issues.
-Daniel Williams,
Field Organizer
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