""I was inspired to run because my constituents asked me to," Jones told The Advocate in an interview. If she wins Tuesday's special election in Houston's 18th Congressional District, Jones would make history as the first Black out lesbian elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. She's proud of that milestone but impatient with the fact that it's still a milestone at all. "It's 2025," she said. "It makes no damn sense that we're still having firsts.""
"Jones has long been a force of nature in Texas politics. A four-time NCAA heptathlon champion at the University of Houston, she brought her competitive instincts into law and public service. "I'm the only person in this race who's drafted legislation, filed it, whipped votes, and gotten bills passed in a Republican-controlled legislature," she said. "That shows commitment. I don't talk about fighting for people - I do it." She was first elected to the Texas House in 2022."
Jolanda Jones is a Democratic Texas state representative, trial lawyer, and former four-time NCAA heptathlon champion running in the special election for Texas's 18th Congressional District. A political trailblazer as the first Black out LGBTQ+ member of the Texas legislature, she would become the first Black out lesbian in the U.S. House if elected. Jones has drafted, filed, and passed legislation in a Republican-controlled Texas Legislature, demonstrating legislative experience and commitment. Raised in Houston's Third Ward and shaped by personal loss, she represents everyday clients who face bullying, discrimination, or denial of justice and frames herself as a pragmatic fighter.
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