Laura Thompson | |
|---|---|
| Member of the TexasHouseofRepresentatives from the 120th district | |
| In office August 2, 2016 –January 9, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Ruth McClendon |
| Succeeded by | Barbara Gervin-Hawkins |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Independent |
| Alma mater | Howard University |
| Occupation | Freelance writer |
Laura Thompson is a former independent member of the Texas House of Representatives. She represented District 120 after winning a special election on August 2,2016,after former state representative Ruth McClendon retired. [1] In the November 2016 general election,she ran for election to a full term but was defeated by Barbara Gervin-Hawkins. Thompson's brief tenure in the Texas House ended on January 9,2017. Thompson was the first independent to serve in the Texas Legislature in over fifty years. [2] [3]
In October 2016,Democratic Party officials in Bexar County unsuccessfully sued to remove Thompson's name from the ballot in the November 2016 election,claiming that her nomination papers lacked enough valid signatures. [4] On October 20,she was arrested and charged with a Class A misdemeanor for assault and bodily injury on a family member over an incident in 2012. [5]