Now in his sixth regular legislative session as a member of a largely powerless minority caucus, state Representative Gene Wu, a 45-year-old Houstonian, has cultivated a number of strategies for a Texas Democrat to stay busy. He battles trolls on Twitter; he searches for marginal ways to make state systems work better for vulnerable kids; and lately he’s taken off as a political communicator on Reddit.
An immigrant originally from China, he’s spent years battling xenophobia in Texas’ Capitol. In 2017, he gave a memorable and tearful floor speech decrying that year’s anti-“sanctuary cities” bill, and this year he fought against a bill that would have banned land sales to citizens from certain countries, including China. He represents a district where 71 percent speak a language other than English at home.
He’s long been pugnacious on Twitter, and when Democrats in 2021 broke quorum to oppose anti-voting legislation, he was among the most strident and stubborn holdouts. In a recent development, he’s posted videos on Reddit explaining topics from lobbying to marijuana policy, sometimes while sipping a whiskey rocks. The Texas Observer spoke with him about bomb-throwing, Democratic discourse, and white supremacy.
