Texas in the News Weekly Quiz March 1, 2021

Texas Legislature Diversity

At the start of the 2017 legislative session, there were more lawmakers named “John” than women in the Texas House of Representatives. Those numbers have changed slightly in the current (87th) legislature but the overall diversity of Texas lawmakers does not match the diversity of the state in terms of age, gender, race, or ethnicity.

Why is the Texas legislature less diverse than other legislatures, or than Texas as a whole? Republican dominance of the chamber is one reason since the GOP tends to be less diverse historically than the Democratic Party. Woman have not historically been recruited to run for office, although that has changed significantly in the last decade. Until the 1960s barriers to racial minority voting and holding office prevented many candidates from running or establishing a political base. These restrictions have been steadily removed and district lines have been drawn to be more inclusive in the decades since. Younger candidates often fare less well against older, established candidates, but new technology allows for easier communication with voters and digital fundraising has levelled the playing field.

Read the following articles to find out more about diversity in Texas and other state legislatures:

• In 2021, white men are still overrepresented in the Texas Legislature
• As Democrats divebomb, the Texas Legislature remains as white and male as ever
• The uneven presence of women and minorities in America’s state legislatures – And why it matters