Senfronia Thompson, a long-time Democratic legislator from Houston, was one of the first to throw her hat in the ring for House Speaker when it appeared in November that her party might finally take control of the Texas House of Representatives.
Thompson, one of the co-founders of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus and an outspoken advocate for women’s health for decades, joined the Legislature in the 1970s, before women could even apply to receive their own line of bank credit. This election cycle, she seemed to be a favorite to become the first female speaker in Texas history. With more than two dozen races labeled as competitive by political scientists like the Baker Institute’s Mark Jones, it seemed possible that Texas Democrats could pick up nine seats needed to seize the majority.
