How I’ll shine a light on Texas politics at our new, pro-democracy newsroom

Texas first hooked me nearly 25 years ago. 

I was an early career journalist, packing my life into a Chrysler Sebring coupe and heading west from the Deep South. Nearly 800 miles later, I arrived in Houston to lead the small but scrappy newsroom of the Houston Voice, the region’s LGBTQ+ newsweekly.

I learned the ins and outs of a diverse (and massive) city while reporting on progressive issues, including then-City Councilmember Annise Parker. A year earlier, she became the city’s first openly gay elected official and years later, the nation’s first LGBTQ+ big city mayor. 

I also got my first taste of covering the Texas Legislature, which at the time had a state House controlled by Democrats who served as a check on the worst intentions of a Republican-controlled Senate and governor’s office. That introduction to politics in the state included my first trip to downtown Austin, covering a rally by the Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby of Texas — now Equality Texas — on the steps of the Texas Capitol.

Fast forward to today. The GOP, which now controls both chambers of the legislature, has lurched right and continues to attack access to voting, reproductive rights, immigration and LGBTQ+ equality as they try to build a supermajority to deliver on Gov. Greg Abbott’s crusade for school vouchers.

That’s where COURIER Texas comes in. I’m returning to the state to help build a statewide newsroom providing pro-Democracy local news to help inform and empower Texans. We’ll offer an engaging blend of community, lifestyle and political news through social media and email-first reporting. We want to find Texans where they spend their time online, including TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.

But make no mistake. I’m here to report on the legislature and politics, from US Rep. Colin Allred’s campaign to unseat US Sen. Ted Cruz to Michelle Vallejo’s efforts to oust US Rep. Monica De La Cruz, voting access and guides on how to vote and the upcoming legislative session in 2025. We want to reach the people left behind by mainstream media with factual, relevant, and empowering news. 

I’ve built my career in journalism on doing just that. I started out covering education in a small town in the Upstate region of South Carolina before moving to Atlanta, where I spent several years covering the legislature and its repeated attempts to curtail the rights of marginalized groups, including LGBTQ+ people. I’ve spent the last two years in Arizona, where like Texas, politics is a take-no-prisoners sort of place. 

But politics is more than sport, it impacts real people. My reporting will attempt to demystify Texas politics and center the voices of the people impacted by what happens in the corridors of power in Austin. I want to help you understand what’s at stake.

We’re launching first with a Dallas-Fort Worth newsroom before expanding into other regions across Texas. Come join our on-the-ground reporting by signing up for our newsletter and following us on Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok. 

For political story tips, email me at [email protected].