Labor leader Jeremy Hendricks joins race for James Talarico's House seat with big endorsements
Read the article at Austin American Statesman
Labor organizer Jeremy Hendricks has entered the race for the Texas House district in north Austin being vacated by Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful James Talarico and brings with him some political heavyweights to boost his chances in what will be a crowded primary in March.
Hendricks, a regional political director for the Laborers International Union of North America and first-time candidate, has collected endorsements from such high-profile Austin Democrats as U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt. Other candidates in the race for heavily Democratic House District 50 include legislative staffer Samantha Lopez-Resendez and immigration attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch.
Even though Hendricks, 49, has not run for office on the past, he said he has been active in grassroots politics. He is president of his local neighborhood association and is a Democratic precinct chair. A native of Oklahoma, Hendricks said he hopes to bring working-class sensibilities from progressive point of view if he is elected to the House.
“I’m running because I believe every child deserves a strong public school, every family should be able to afford healthcare, and every worker ought to have a fair shot at a safe, good-paying job," he said. "The people who pour their sweat into building this state and their hearts into raising the next generation ought to have a strong voice in the Capitol, and I’ll make sure they do."
In addition to education and workers' rights, Hendricks said his top priorities will be to push for expanding Texas' clean-energy portfolio, which has been downplayed by state Republican leaders as they focus on shoring up the state's electric grid primarily by providing incentives to developers of natural gas-fired generation.
He also said Texas should expand Medicaid, which provides health coverage for qualifying low-income people. Gov. Greg Abbott and legislative leaders has long resisted expanding the federally subsidized program.
“I’ve spent my career standing shoulder to shoulder with working people," Hendricks said.
The filing period for candidates to officially enter the race opens Nov. 8.
Chief Politics Reporter
Moritz has covered state government and politics, including the Texas Legislature and the governor's since the 1990s. In addition, he has covered several natural disasters and mass violence events.
