Texas's first LGBTQ+ state senator, Molly Cook, wins primary for full term

Molly Cook, the first out member of the LGBTQ+ community to be a Texas state senator, has won her primary runoff, poising her for a full Senate term.

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Cook, who is bisexual, won a special election May 4 in Senate District 15 to fill the remainder of Sen. John Whitmire’s term after he resigned to become mayor of Houston. That goes until the end of the year. But to win the Democratic nomination for a full term, she had to run against Jarvis Johnson, currently a state representative. She and Johnson were the top two finishers in the March 5 Democratic primary in District 15, but no candidate won a majority, leading to the runoff.

Now she’s won the runoff, held Tuesday, and is favored to win in November against Republican Joseph L. Trahan, as the Houston district is heavily Democratic and has a large LGBTQ+ population; it includes the gayborhood of Montrose. With most of the vote counted, Cook was leading Johnson by 50.2 percent to 49.8 percent. Senators are elected for four-year terms and are not subject to term limits.

After her win in the special election but before the primary runoff, Cook had posted on Facebook, “Our team is not missing a beat or taking anything for granted. I am grateful to live my life in service to the health and safety of my neighbors.”

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Cook is an emergency room nurse and a veteran community organizer. At 32, she is the youngest current senator, and she is the only Democratic medical professional in the Senate. She has vowed to work for LGBTQ+ rights, abortion rights, and improvements to health care, public transportation, and public education. She has spoken about having had an abortion in Texas in 2014 — eight years before the fall ofRoe v. Wade allowed the state to enact one of the most restrictive anti-abortion laws in the nation.

In an interview with The Advocate before the runoff, she said it’s possible for progressive legislators to make change even in deeply conservative Texas. “I think it’s really important to keep in mind that incremental change and revolutionary change are not mutually exclusive,” she said, promising to work for both.

In a Wednesday press release after her runoff win, she said, “Today, we get to celebrate our fantastic, well-deserved, historic win. Winning a Texas Senate seat is a big deal, and it tastes extra sweet because it is born of sheer grit, determination, and teamwork. We have organized for years, stayed true to our values, and built momentum that extends beyond this election. Thank you to the team, voters, volunteers, and donors. Let’s take a moment to root ourselves in gratitude and bask in our community, and let’s get to work.”