WASHINGTON — The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee has named Dr. Eliz Markowitz a Spotlight Candidate ahead of the special election for Texas’s HD-28 this November. The election marks the first opportunity for Democrats to flip a seat from red to blue as they work to win control of the Texas House in 2020.
“The Texas House of Representatives is one of our top targets and the fight to flip it blue starts this November,” said DLCC President Jessica Post. “While the state is trending left, Texas Republicans are moving with Donald Trump to the extreme fringes of the right. From health care to education, they’re out of step with the families they’re supposed to represent.”
The special election was scheduled when Republican incumbent John Zerwas announced his resignation. His departure leaves open a suburban Houston seat that Ted Cruz carried last year by just three points. The district is exactly the kind of place trending fast away from the GOP as Trump only becomes more toxic in the suburbs and rapid demographic change remakes Texas into the premier battleground state for 2020.
While Republicans are battling each other in a six-way primary, Democrats have selected Dr. Eliz Markowitz as their candidate to flip the seat.
“Dr. Eliz Markowitz believes Texas must provide health care to every family, regardless of income level or ethnicity. She believes public schools should provide high-quality education to all Texans, regardless of race or zip code,” Post said. “She is a leader who will move Texas forward.”
A native Texan, Markowitz is a health care expert and career educator with a long history of community service and advocacy work. She’s running to improve schools for all Texans and to fight for quality affordable health care.
“I’ve seen firsthand how our health care and school systems impact everyday Texans, and I’ve fought hard to make our health care system more efficient and our school system more fair,” Dr. Markowtiz said. “I’ve advocated across the state to end our reliance on high-stakes STAAR testing, which wastes millions in taxpayer dollars and countless hours of instructional time. When I get to the state House, I’ll work with both sides to get it done.”
After flipping twelve seats in 2018, Democrats are just nine short of a majority in the Texas House. Beto O’Rourke carried seats currently held by Republicans in his 2018 Senate campaign showing a clear path to victory for Democrats.
The DLCC recently announced an unprecedented $100,000 early investment to the Texas House Democratic Caucus, funds that will help state partners recruit candidates and build up campaign infrastructure well ahead of next November.
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