Morgan LaMantia | |
---|---|
Member of the Texas Senate from the 27th district | |
Assumed office January 10, 2023 | |
Preceded by | Eddie Lucio |
Personal details | |
Born | McAllen,Texas,U.S. | December 9,1986
Political party | Democratic |
Residence(s) | Palm Valley,Texas,U.S. |
Alma mater | University of Texas,Austin (BA) St. Mary's University (JD) |
Occupation | Attorney |
Website | https://www.senate.texas.gov/member.php?d=27 |
Morgan Jessica LaMantia [1] (born December 9,1986) [2] is a Texas state elected official and attorney serving as a member of the Texas Senate representing district 27.
A Rio Grande Valley native and sixth-generation Texan,State Senator Morgan LaMantia (D –Palm Valley) was elected to the Texas Senate in 2022. As the first female to represent Senate District 27,she proudly serves South Texas and the Coastal Bend,encompassing Bee,San Patricio,Kleberg,Kenedy,Willacy,Cameron,and portions of Nueces and Hidalgo counties.
After earning her bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin and her law degree from St. Mary's University School of Law,Senator LaMantia returned to the Rio Grande Valley,where she worked as an associate attorney at Atlas,Hall &Rodriguez,LLP. She soon went on to work in data analytics for her family business,L&F Distributors,where she currently serves as In-House Counsel. Her achievements at L&F include revamping the company’s healthcare plan for over 1,200 employees and promptly resolving supply chain and safety equipment issues that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic.
As an active member of her community,Senator LaMantia has served on the boards of the Stars Scholarship Fund,the Gladys Porter Zoo,and the Museum of South Texas History. By building opportunities through hard work,giving back,and paying it forward,she seeks to carry on the legacy of her grandfather,Joe LaMantia Jr.,who inspired her journey in public service.
Senator LaMantia is a member of the distinguished Senate Committees on Education,Health &Human Services,Nominations,and State Affairs,which headline debate on the legislature's most contentious topics and impactful issues. In her first term as a Senator,she used her position to expand opportunities for the Texas workforce,increase access to affordable healthcare,support public school students and teachers,deliver funding for rural areas,and much more.
Her advocacy and accomplishments have earned Senator LaMantia numerous awards that coincide with her principles centered around hard work,trustworthiness,and collaboration. She attributes the successes of her first session to her South Texas upbringing,real-life work experience,and the dedication of her esteemed colleagues,fantastic team,and valued community leaders and supporters.
In her free time,Senator LaMantia enjoys spending time with her loving family and her five dogs,Cain,Daisy,Gibbs,Smokey,and Sushi. [3]
On November 22,2021,LaMantia filed to run for the Texas Senate for District 27. [4] LaMantia ran in a crowded field that included State Representative Alex Dominguez and lawyer Sara Stapleton-Berrera. LaMantia and Stapleton-Berrera advanced to a runoff in which LaMantia defeated Stapleton-Berrera.
The 27th district was the only competitive district in the 2022 elections. [5] LaMantia faced Republican Adam Hinojosa in the general election. She defeated Hinojosa by 659 votes,prompting Hinojosa to request a recount. [6] Following the recount,LaMantia's lead expanded an additional 18 votes and Hinojosa conceded. [7]
In her first session as a member of the Texas Senate,Senator LaMantia passed 31 bills into law and was one of only four Senators to avoid a veto from Governor Abbott. [8] She did not hesitate to reach across the aisle to find solutions,and by sticking to her principles centered around good faith,she quickly gained the trust and respect of her colleagues. By the end of the legislative session,she had earned a reputation for being trustworthy,and her willingness to work with all parties for the good of the people certainly contributed to her accomplishments.
The bills passed by Senator LaMantia touched on a wide array of topics,including K-12 and Higher Education,Health Care,Child Care,Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities,Border Security,Flood Infrastructure,Scholarship Funding,Rural Economic Development,Safety for UIL Officials,Criminal Justice,Charitable Fund Raising,Contracting Authority and Protections,Wildlife,Insurance,and State Agency Efficiency.
Senator LaMantia worked closely with state agencies to pass priority legislation for the Department of Public Safety (DPS),Health &Human Services (HHS),Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD),and Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA).
Senator LaMantia’s tireless work in committee and on the Senate floor was recognized by organizations across Texas. As a strong advocate for public education,she received the Public Education Champion Award from Raise Your Hand Texas (RYHT). [9] As a proponent of infrastructure and economic development,she received the Champion of Infrastructure Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). [10]
Additionally,she notably passed Senate Bill 2193, [11] which established a pilot program to expand healthcare access for uninsured,working Texans. This bill allows small businesses to provide affordable primary care to employees by partnering with Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC).
Her commitment to understanding the importance of every concern and the individual attention she places on every issue has caught the attention of industry leaders in multiple fields. Not only is she eager to work with others,others are eager to work with her.
LaMantia lives in Palm Valley.
Mary Loretta Landrieu is an American entrepreneur and politician who served as a United States senator from Louisiana from 1997 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party,Landrieu served as the Louisiana State Treasurer from 1988 to 1996,and in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1980 to 1988.
Eddie Bernice Johnson was an American politician who represented Texas's 30th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1993 to 2023. Johnson was a member of the Democratic Party.
Martha Jane Beattie Kitchel is an American politician serving as a Democratic member of the Vermont State Senate,representing the Caledonia senate district since January 2005.
Juan Jesus "Chuy" Hinojosa is an American politician and attorney who is a member of the Texas Senate,representing the 20th district,which stretches from Corpus Christi to McAllen. A Democrat,he was first elected to the Senate in 2002 and has represented parts of South Texas in the Texas Legislature for a combined total of over 35 years.
The Texas Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Texas and one of the two major political parties in the state. The party's headquarters are in Austin,Texas.
Toby Ann Stavisky is an American politician serving as a member of the New York State Senate,having held a seat since 1999. She represents the 11th district,which comprises parts of Queens.
Melony Ghee Griffith is an American politician who was a member of the Maryland Senate representing District 25 in Prince George's County from 2019 until her resignation on October 31,2023. She previously served as president pro tempore of the Maryland Senate from 2020 to 2023,and as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates from 1999 to 2015.
Ariana Brannigan Kelly is an American politician who is the executive director of the Maryland Commission for Women. She was a member of the Maryland Senate from District 16,which is located in Montgomery County,from 2023 to 2024. A member of the Democratic Party,she previously represented the same district in the Maryland House of Delegates from 2011 to 2023.
Patricia Ann Spearman is an American cleric,veteran,and Democratic politician from North Las Vegas,Nevada. She was elected in November 2012 to the Nevada Senate representing District 1,that is composed of the northern section of North Las Vegas and slivers of neighboring jurisdictions,after defeating incumbent John Jay Lee in the primary,and winning the general election. Spearman became the first openly lesbian member of the Nevada Legislature. She was re-elected in November 2016,and serves as co-majority whip since. Regarded as one of the most liberal members of the Nevada Senate,Spearman has introduced bills that provide equal pay for women,support LGBT rights,and support veterans. Spearman is also a supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment. Moreover,she was involved in the process of establishing the Nevada Revenue Plan during the 2015 session. On October 6,2021,Spearman entered the 2022 race for Mayor of North Las Vegas,Nevada.
Nikiya Q. Dodd,formerly Nikiya Harris is a Wisconsin educator and politician who formerly served as a county supervisor of Milwaukee County,Wisconsin from 2010 through 2012,and as a Democratic member of the Wisconsin State Senate representing the 6th Senate district from 2013 to 2017. She served on the Milwaukee Common Council from 2018 until retiring at the end of November 2022.
The University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) is a public research university with multiple campuses throughout the Rio Grande Valley region of Texas. It is the southernmost member of the University of Texas System. The University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley was created by the Texas Legislature in 2013 after the consolidation of the University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College and the University of Texas–Pan American.
Patricia Van Pelt Watkins is an American politician who served in the Illinois Senate,representing the 5th district,from 2013 to 2023. The 5th district is located on the West Side of Chicago. Prior to her service as a member of the Illinois Senate she was a community activist and ran for Mayor of Chicago.
Regina Inez Hinojosa is an American lawyer and politician. She is a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives,representing the 49th District. Hinojosa was sworn into the Texas House on January 10,2017,after winning the November 2016 general election. She succeeded Democrat Elliott Naishtat,who did not run for re-election.
Dafna Michaelson Jenet is a Democratic member of the Colorado Senate representing Senate District 21. She previously served in the Colorado House of Representatives representing House District 32 and,prior to redistricting,District 30,which covered a portion of Adams County including parts of Commerce City,Aurora,Brighton,Henderson,Bennett,Keensburg,Strasburg,and Thornton. She was elected to that seat in 2016,unseating Republican incumbent JoAnn Windholz.
Mariannette Jane Miller-Meeks is an American physician and politician serving as a U.S. representative since 2021,representing Iowa's 1st congressional district. Her district,numbered as the 2nd district in her first term,includes most of Iowa's southeastern quadrant,including Davenport,Bettendorf,Burlington,and Iowa City. A member of the Republican Party,Miller-Meeks served as Iowa state senator for the 41st district from 2019 to 2021.
Sarah Kelly Elfreth is an American politician who has served as a member of the Maryland Senate representing the 30th district since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party,her district encompasses the lower half of Anne Arundel County,including the state capital of Annapolis.
Aura Kenny Dunn is an American Republican Party politician who has represented the 25th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly from November 25,2019,until January 14,2020. She was sworn in again on February 3,2020.
Sara N. Love is an American politician who has represented District 16 in the Maryland House of Delegates since 2019.
The 2022 Texas Senate elections were held on November 8,2022. Elections were held to elect senators from all 31 senate districts across the state of Texas. Numerous other federal,state,and local elections,also held on this date. The winners of this election served in the 88th Texas Legislature,with seats apportioned among the 2020 United States census. Republicans had held a majority in the Texas Senate since January 14,1997,as a result of the 1996 elections.
Elections to the Texas Senate will be held on November 5,2024,for 15 of the 31 Senate districts across the state of Texas. Numerous other federal,state,and local elections will also be held on this date. The winners of this election will serve full four-year terms covering the 89th Texas Legislature and the 90th Texas Legislature. Republicans have held a majority in the Texas Senate since January 14,1997,as a result of the 1996 elections.