LBJ School alumni who ran for office and won on Nov. 6, 2018. Top row: Dana DeBeauvoir (MPAff '81); Matt de Ferranti (MPAff '01); Sarah Eckhardt (MPAff '98). Bottom row: Vikki Goodwin (MPAff '91); Ruth Hardy (MPAff '96); Gene Wu (MPAff '04)
Six of the eight LBJ School alumni who ran for local and state office in the November 2018 general election emerged victorious, and the outcome of one remains undecided as the votes are counted in Georgia, home to what is now one of the nation's most-watched gubernatorial races.
As of this writing, Stacey Abrams is still locked in her battle to become the nation’s first African-American female governor.
"I greet you as the shapers of American society." —Lyndon B. Johnson
On Nov. 6 in Texas:
- Democrat Vikki Goodwin (MPAff '91) won 52 percent of the vote in the Texas House District 47 race.
- Incumbent Democrat Gene Wu (MPAff '04) won 88 percent of the vote in the Texas House District 137 race.
- Incumbent Democrat Dana DeBeauvoir (MPAff '81) took 87 percent of the vote in the Travis County Clerk race.
- Incumbent Democrat Sarah Eckhardt (MPAff '98) reclaimed her seat as Travis County Commissioners Court Judge in an uncontested race.
- Incumbent Republican Ed Emmett (MPAff '74) narrowly lost his seat as Harris County Commissioners Court Judge, by fewer than 18,000 votes.
In Virginia, Democrat Matt de Ferranti (MPAff '01) won his seat to the Arlington County Board with 54 percent of the vote.
And in Vermont, Ruth Hardy (MPAff '96) won one of the two seats in the Vermont State Senate Addison District.
Earlier in the year, nonpartisan candidate Jay Schenirer (MPAff '81) won the District 5 seat on the Sacramento City Council, and Jose "Chito" Vela (MPAff '99) was defeated in the primary runoff to represent the Texas House of Representatives in District 46.
Take a closer look at the candidates who studied at the LBJ School.