A Seat At The Table For All Of Us!
Why I’m Running
One of my heroes is the late, great Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm. She famously said, “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”
I ran for State Representative in 2024 to reclaim a seat at the table for the residents of District 146 –– and in my first session, I fought hard to deliver real wins for our community. I was thrilled to be named Freshman of the Year by the House Democratic Caucus.
My first bill, HB 107, passed. This bipartisan bill, a Speaker-designated priority, establishes Texas’s first statewide sickle cell disease registry, a major step toward expanding research, improving care, and saving lives. This is a deeply personal win for me and my family, alongside the countless others living with sickle cell who have been overlooked for far too long.
I was named to the Appropriations and Public Health Committees, passed 22 additional bills, and brought home more than $26 million in budget investments for District 146, including funds for TSU.
I also worked day and night with my Democratic colleagues to fight an avalanche of hateful, damaging bills pushed by MAGA allies of Gov. Abbott and Lt. Gov. Patrick. We even took the drastic step of breaking quorum to stop a racist and unconstitutional redistricting scheme pushed by Gov. Abbott at the direction of President Trump.
Today, I am running for a second term to continue working for the people of District 146. We have an enormous amount of work to do. I would be honored by your support!
Lauren Ashley Simmons
Meet Lauren
Lauren Ashley Simmons is a mom, a union organizer, and our State Representative for Texas House District 146. Lauren has spent her entire adult life fighting for the people who MAGA Republicans are attacking every day.
Lauren is fighting to keep our public schools strong by supporting teachers, students, and parents. She’s fighting to get health care for people who have to choose between paying for medicine or paying the rent. She’s fighting for living wages for the very people that Greg Abbott and Ken Paxton are trying to keep down, and for the LGBTQIA+ people and their families who Abbott and Paxton are working so hard to tear apart. And she is fighting to protect our Democracy, as MAGA Republicans continue to push schemes that are eroding our right to vote and choose our own representatives.
As a black, queer, woman, Lauren has a deep understanding of these struggles – she lives at the intersection of discrimination based on race, class, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
Born and raised in a solidly middle-class family in the Third Ward, Lauren attended public schools and Trinity United Methodist Church. She was a Jack and Jill kid, active in the acclaimed leadership development and volunteer service organization.
Then life threw a curve ball. Lauren became a mom at age 19, lost her safety net quickly, and had to navigate motherhood, postpartum depression, and staying in school so she could one day provide for her family. Navigating the bureaucracy was tough – Lauren was turned down for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families dozens of times. She and her baby were evicted from their apartment. Lauren even shoplifted food and clothing for her baby. Fortunately, a compassionate judge dismissed the charges – and Lauren learned a tough life lesson.
But through adversity comes strength. No matter how hard it got, Lauren kept fighting. And she still fights today for those who are tired, frustrated, and who feel unheard by the people who are supposed to be serving them.
Lauren went on to organize Black low-income women and Black migrant women to get fair wages and benefits, improved working conditions, and better job security. She has been an organizer and fierce advocate for Texas state employees and Houston teachers. She is a proud CWA member and shop steward.
Lauren grew up in a family of activists, trailblazers, and justice warriors. One of her enslaved ancestors escaped a plantation in Mississippi and walked to Texas to find his wife who had been sold. They founded Shankleville, Texas as a Freedmen’s town, one of more than 500 freedom colonies in Texas.
Lauren’s mom and grandmother were both lifetime members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and active in the Houston Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter. Continuing the Delta legacy, Lauren is currently serving in the Houston Alumnae Chapter. Her mom was a dedicated preschool teacher whose passion for early childhood education led her to mentor preschool teachers, and was active in the letter-writing campaign to free Kemba Smith during the Clinton administration. Lauren’s dad helped integrate his high school, including participating in protests and walkouts. He is a lifetime member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and a pillar in the community. He coached Little League sports at the YMCA and was a neighborhood father figure to those in need.