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2024 Texas Elections

Lauren Ashley Simmons declares victory over Texas Rep. Shawn Thierry, who broke with Democrats on LGBTQ+ votes

The Simmons-Thierry contest emerged as a test of whether Democratic lawmakers who do not fully support LGBTQ+ causes can remain in good standing with their own party’s voters.

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Lauren Ashley Simmons talks with volunteers before block walking on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024, in the Meyerland neighborhood of Houston.
Lauren Ashley Simmons talks with volunteers before block walking on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024, in the Meyerland neighborhood of Houston Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune

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State Rep. Shawn Thierry was defeated Tuesday by primary challenger Lauren Ashley Simmons, denying the Houston Democrat a fifth term after she sided with Republicans last year on a handful of bills opposed by the LGBTQ+ community.

Simmons declared victory with a double-digit lead over Thierry. The contest was decided by Tuesday’s runoff after Simmons narrowly missed defeating Thierry outright in the March primary.

"We did it, y'all," Simmons said in a speech at her election night watch party, where she declared victory and told supporters she "wanted to be a clear example of what you can do when you have the power of the people behind you."

Thierry, a 54-year-old Houston attorney, had been in her own party’s crosshairs since last spring, when she voted for a measure barring gender-transitioning care for minors, and then delivered an emotional speech from the House floor explaining why she broke with her party. Thierry’s vote, and her viral remarks, prompted a spirited and well-funded challenge from Simmons, a 36-year-old labor organizer.

A number of prominent Houston Democrats lined up behind Simmons, including some of Thierry’s current and former colleagues in the Texas House — an unusually public show of repudiation from an incumbent’s own party. Thierry countered with her own slate of endorsements from Black church leaders and six of her Democratic colleagues.

Thierry also broke ranks from her party to support a GOP bill aimed at removing sexually explicit books from school libraries, a designation critics feared would be used to target LGBTQ+ literature. She also voted for a bill requiring transgender college athletes to play on teams that align with their sex assigned at birth.

Fanning the flames further, Thierry was quoted by the Houston Chronicle editorial board earlier this year appearing to dismiss Simmons’ Texas House supporters as “the gay ones.” Thierry said the quote was “taken completely out of context from a larger discussion,” but in any case, Simmons’ campaign told the Chronicle that they received a major surge in fundraising after Thierry’s remarks were published.

The Simmons-Thierry contest emerged as a test of whether Democratic lawmakers who do not fully support LGBTQ+ causes can remain in good standing with their own party’s voters. Thierry insisted her votes reflected the will of her constituents.

Critics of Thierry’s remarks on the gender-transitioning bill noted she ignored the fact that treatment decisions for minors could only be made by parents or legal guardians. A consensus of major medical groups has also argued that gender-transitioning care should be available to children and teens in the care of doctors, while also recommending that patients receive counseling about how the procedure could affect their fertility.

Thierry’s comments drew praise from some of her Republican colleagues, who called it a brave rebuke of what they see as a radical stance. She received a large chunk of her campaign funding from GOP donors during the primary, along with groups advocating for charter schools and school vouchers.

In her election night remarks, Simmons said her campaign overcame "big Republican money" and "corporate PACs" backing Thierry.

With her win on Tuesday, Simmons will face Republican Lance York in the November general election for House District 146.

The district covers parts of south and southwest Houston and leans heavily Democratic — Joe Biden carried it by nearly 80 percentage points in 2020.

Voting FAQ: 2024 Elections

  • When is the next election? What dates do I need to know?

    Election Day for the general election is November 5, and early voting will run from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1. The deadline to register to vote and/or change your voter registration address is Oct. 7. Applications to vote by mail must be received by your county of residence – not postmarked – by Oct. 25.

  • What’s on the ballot for the general election?

    In addition to the president, eligible Texans have the opportunity to cast their ballots for many Texas officials running for office at the federal, state and local levels.
    This includes representatives in the U.S. and Texas houses and the following elected offices: -1 U.S Senator (Ted Cruz) - 1 of 3 Railroad Commissioners - 15 State Senators - 7 State Board of Education members - 3 members of the Texas Supreme Court - 3 members of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals - 5 Chief Justices and various justices for Texas Courts of Appeals
    - Lower-level judges and local county offices will also appear on the ballot: - Various district judges, including on criminal and family courts - County Courts at Law - Justices of the Peace - District Attorneys - County Attorneys - Sheriffs - Constables - Tax Assessor-Collectors

  • How do I make sure I’m registered to vote?

    You can check to see if you’re registered and verify your information through the Texas Secretary of State’s website. You’ll need one of the following three combinations to log in: Your Texas driver’s license number and date of birth. Your first and last names, date of birth and county you reside in. Your date of birth and Voter Unique Identifier, which appears on your voter registration certificate.

  • How do I register to vote if I haven’t?

    You can request a postage-paid application through the mail or find one at county voter registrars’ offices and some post offices, government offices, or high schools. You can also print out the online application and mail it to the voter registrar in your county.
    Applications must be postmarked by the Oct. 7 deadline. Download your application here.
    Additionally, you can register to vote through the Texas Department of Public Safety while renewing your driver’s license. You may be able to register to vote online if you’re also allowed to renew your license online. This is the only form of online registration in the state.
    After you register to vote, you will receive a voter registration certificate within 30 days. It’ll contain your voter information, including the Voter Unique Identifier number needed to update your voter registration online. If the certificate has incorrect information, you’ll need to note corrections and send it to your local voter registrar as soon as possible.
    The voter registration certificate can also be used as a secondary form of ID when you vote if you don’t have one of the seven state-approved photo IDs

  • What can I do if I have questions about voting?

    You can contact your county elections official or call the Texas Secretary of State's helpline at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683). A coalition of voting rights groups is also helping voters navigate election concerns through the 866-OUR-VOTE (687-8683) voter-protection helpline. The coalition has hotlines available in other languages. Disability Rights Texas also assists voters with disabilities.

  • Read more
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Politics Shawn Thierry Texas Democratic Party Texas House of Representatives