She's Back
Famed Texas Democrat Wendy Davis runs for U.S. Congress in 2020
Deeds not words. Perhaps inspired by the name of the nonprofit she founded in 2016, Democrat Wendy Davis is returning to electoral politics, this time as a candidate for Congress.
Davis, a former Fort Worth city council member, state senator, and nominee for governor, is challenging freshman Republican U.S. Rep. Chip Roy of Austin, she announced July 22.
Roy, who won the seat in 2018 against Democrat Jospeh Kopser by less than 3 percentage points, represents Texas' 21st Congressional District. The district stretches from Southwest Austin to northern San Antonio through the Texas Hill Country, and includes the cities of Fredericksburg, Kerrville, and Boerne.
A former aide to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, Roy made headlines in May when he delayed a $19 billion disaster aid bill that provided money to states affected by hurricanes, floods, and fire; the bill eventually passed.
Davis reintroduces herself in a nearly four-and-a-half minute video without mentioning Roy. The video covers much of her backstory, including that of being a young mother; working her way from community college to Texas Christian University and, eventually, Harvard Law; joining the state senate; making national headlines for her 13-hour filibuster of an abortion bill in 2013; running (and losing) the race for governor; forming her nonprofit (Deeds Not Words supports the work of young women who are civically engaged); and becoming an activist.
Much of the video is anchored by Davis' and her late father's voices, along with a collage of photos, archival footage, and moments with her daughters and grandchildren in a kitchen.
“I've learned that I'm at my best when I'm fighting for people," Davis says in the announcement. "And even in losing, we help shape the future, because it isn’t personal achievements or failures that create change, it’s working together to fight for what matters."
In a statement, she says she entered public service "to raise up the stories of those who feel left behind."
"I'm running for Congress, because people's voices are still being silenced," she says. "I'm running for our children and grandchildren, so they can live and love and fight for change themselves."
