Wendy Davis

Wendy Davis is a lawyer and Democratic Party politician from Fort Worth, Texas. She represented the 10th district in the Texas Senate from 2009 to 2015, and prior to that, she served on the Fort Worth City Council. In addition to her political career, Davis worked as a law clerk to U.S. District Judge Jerry Buchmeyer from 1993 to 1994, and practiced litigation as an attorney at Haynes & Boone. She also became part owner of Safeco Title Co. in 1999 and worked at the Fort Worth branch of First American Title until 2009.

During her tenure in the Texas Senate, Davis served on various Senate committees, including the Senate Select Committee on Open Government and the Senate Committee on Economic Development. She gained national attention in 2013 for a thirteen-hour filibuster to block Senate Bill 5, which included more restrictive abortion regulations for Texas. This filibuster played a pivotal role in delaying the passage of the bill beyond the midnight deadline for the end of the legislative session.

In 2014, Davis ran for Governor of Texas, but was defeated by the Republican Party nominee Greg Abbott. She attempted a political comeback in 2020, running for Texas's 21st congressional district, but was again defeated. Despite these setbacks, Davis has remained a prominent figure in Texas politics, known for her commitment to public education and veteran's issues. She worked to reduce the number of standardized tests given to students and successfully negotiated the first cost-of-living increase for retired teachers in more than a decade.

Davis founded Deeds Not Words, a nonprofit dedicated to women's empowerment that stands for women's social and economic opportunity, access to reproductive health, freedom from sexual assault, and equal representation in every space and at every level. In addition to her public service, Davis is a published author, having written a memoir titled "Forgetting to Be Afraid." She has also made numerous appearances in the media, including interviews with prestigious outlets like The New York Times and The Washington Post. Davis received her bachelor's degree from Texas Christian University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.