Houston Rep. Gene Wu to lead Texas House Democrats through GOP-dominated legislative session

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Making the case for better “external communication,” Gene Wu defeated incumbent Trey Martinez Fischer on Thursday to become the next chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus.

Until just this week, it seemed like Martinez Fischer of San Antonio would be reelected to the role. Democrats weren’t all happy with the direction of the caucus the last two years, but leading the minority is a hard role to play. On Monday, Rep. Ana-María Rodríguez Ramos of Richardson said the progressive caucus would be backing Rep. John Bryant of Dallas, who entered the race last week.

But Martinez Fischer’s chances changed Monday evening when Wu of Houston entered the race.

Wu, a former Harris County prosecutor who will be entering his seventh term in the Legislature, has been an antagonistic critic of Republicans, both on the House floor and on social media. He’s trolled Republicans on X and posted daily video updates from the legislative session on Reddit, sometimes with a glass of whiskey on display.

An expert on family law and juvenile justice, Wu immigrated from China at a young age and has been a prominent leader for House Democrats on immigration issues. He gave a viral speech on the House floor against Texas’ “sanctuary cities” ban in 2017 and organized against a bill last year to ban agents from and government of hostile foreign nations, including China, from buying Texas land.

Wu will lead the caucus during a particularly tumultuous time for the minority party. House Democrats lost two members in the November election, and are further wounded after Republicans enjoyed widespread support up and down the ballot in Texas and nationwide. This session House Democrats will have weakened forces as they try to fend off Gov. Greg Abbott’s push to pass universal school vouchers, a measure that would allow public funds to be used toward private school and homeschooling.

When the Legislature convenes in January, Republicans will control 88 seats while Democrats will control 62, their weakest position since after the 2016 election.

During Thursday night’s closed-door meeting, Bryant was eliminated first. Down to Wu and Martinez Fischer, Bryant swung his support to fellow progressive caucus member Wu, who pulled ahead 35-24, according to sources with knowledge of the vote. However, Martinez Fischer dropped out to make the vote unanimous.

“I am honored to have received the support and trust of my colleagues,” Wu said in a statement. “I look forward to working for the members of the Texas HDC to ensure that they each have the tools and support they need to pass meaningful legislation for their districts and fight for everyday Texans who deserve a fair shot and a voice in the Legislature.”

“As I have stated from the beginning, I see victory only when we all win,” he added. “I am excited to see what Texas House Democrats can do together in the upcoming Legislative Session.”

The progressive caucus played a role in Wu’s victory, but during the closed-door nomination process, support from longtime House Democrats Rep. Donna Howard of Austin and Rep. Senfronia Thompson of Houston showed his broader appeal. Those in favor of Wu had kind words for Martinez Fischer, but wanted a change in the status quo.

Martinez Fischer was elected chair ahead of the 2023 regular session. During his tenure, Democrats made effective use of the House rules, killing several Republican priorities on technicalities. The caucus also partnered with rural Republicans to block education savings accounts, a priority of Gov. Greg Abbott.

“I wish Chairman Wu all the success and I look forward to continuing to work with him and all the members of the House Democratic Caucus,” Martinez Fischer said in a statement to the Tribune.

The caucus also elected its other leaders: Mihaela Plesa of Plano as first vice chair, Ron Reynolds of Missouri City as second vice chair and Christian Manuel of Beaumont as treasurer.