DALLAS (KXAN) — The first Asian American woman to win the Miss Texas crown is now hoping to add another title to her name: state lawmaker.
Averie Bishop, who won the statewide pageant in 2022, made it official Tuesday afternoon that she’s running to unseat a longtime Republican state representative in a competitive district located outside of Dallas. She posted a video on her social media accounts announcing her campaign for Texas House District 112, which includes the communities of Addison, Richardson and Sunnyvale in Dallas County.
“We are tired of being left behind. We are through with waiting for Austin to protect our public schools, to take action in the face of climate change or give us access to basic human rights like health care,” Bishop said in her video. “It’s time for a change. It’s time for the next generation of Texans to lead. It’s time to remember every time we say y’all, it has to mean all.”
Bishop, 26, is running as a Democrat in the race. She said she would be the first Filipino American to serve in the Texas legislature. During her time as Miss Texas, she became increasingly critical of state Republican leaders on several issues, including abortion, guns and race.
The seat is currently held by Rep. Angie Chen Button, a Republican who first took this office in 2009. She is also Asian American. In her biography, she explained she’s an immigrant from Taiwan whose parents fled communist China. Button currently serves as chair of the House International Relations and Economic Development Committee.
Button won reelection in 2022 by about nine percentage points over the Democratic candidate. She narrowly won the seat in 2020, beating out the Democrat by only 222 votes.
Bishop, who graduated from law school, built up a large social media following during her reign as Miss Texas. She has 841,000 followers on her TikTok account, where her campaign announcement video already amassed more than 28,000 views as of Tuesday evening.
[#item_full_content]