Texas Town Hall

Houston City Council (Houston)

As a long-time Houstonian, Twila Carter has a track record of service in our community. She is now ready to bring her record of success to City Hall by running for Houston City Council, At-Large Position 3. 

For over a decade, Twila served as Senior Vice President of Community Relations of the Houston Astros and Executive Director of the Astros Foundation. During her tenure, the charitable foundation raised over $60 million for charities that focus on improving the quality of life in our city. 

Life was not always easy for Twila. Raised from humble beginnings, often dependent on welfare as a child, Twila has worked diligently to break the cycle of poverty in her family. 

Twila knows the importance of investing in others and is dedicated to helping create opportunity for struggling families and at-risk women. Twila Carter has served as Vice Chair for the Texas Council on Family Violence and Family Time Crisis and Counseling Center. She also serves on the Advisory Board for the Houston Area Women’s Center and is a former Board Member of Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse (AVDA). 

Twila knows that safe communities are prosperous communities. She is committed to fully funding the Houston Police Department. Twila’s commitment to the men and women in uniform runs deep. She is the Board Chair for USO Houston and currently serves on The Houston Police Foundation. Twila’s commitment to law enforcement has earned her the endorsement of the Houston Police Officers’ Union because they know that she has their backs. 

Twila Carter is honest, consistent, and persistent. She resides in Kingwood and attends Kingwood United Methodist Church. 

Texas State Representative (San Antonio)

Representative Garcia has committed her life to serving others, her lived-experiences guiding her quest for solutions to increase opportunities for all Texans. Josey spent her early years bouncing from one foster home to another. By the time she reached high school, she had attended 13 schools and lived with various families. At the age of 16, she signed up for the Delay Enlistment Program, securing her place in the U.S. Air Force, serving in deployments to Cameroon, Africa and Iraq, where she served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. After Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Representative Garcia was stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in 2001. Here she would retire after 20 years of a military career. An active member of her westside community, Josey made San Antonio, Texas her forever home.

Survivor, Advocate (San Antonio)

Mariah Gardner is a mother, a domestic violence survivor, and an advocate. She grew up in Southwest Louisiana but migrated to San Antonio in 2015. She studied Psychology at UTSA. Mariah is passionate about her faith, family, and community and strives to give back whenever possible. In 2023, Mariah and her 4 children were attacked by her former spouse, losing her youngest child, Willow Grace. Mariah channeled her pain into purpose — her heartbreak into hope — and committed to doing everything in her power to make sure no more children are murdered and that safety, love, and respect are fundamental rights for everyone.

Activist (Houston)

Olivia Julianna is an abortion rights activist, democracy organizer, and political influencer from Houston, Texas. With over 1 million followers on TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram, her content has accumulated billions of views, changed the political landscape, and put youth voices front and center in the fight for our future.

She came to national prominence for initiating the takedown of a whistleblower website that targeted those in the state of Texas who aided in abortion access and for raising $2.2 million for abortion funds after Republican Congressman Matt Gatez publicly attacked her

She has facilitated collaborations with elected officials, such as Governors Josh Shapiro and Gretchen Whitmer, Congress Members Jasmine Crockett, and Vice President Kamala Harris.

She’s been awarded the Ms. Foundation Marie C Wilson Emerging Leader award and the Planned Parenthood SouthEast Legends in the Making award, which had previously been won by Cecile Richards and Congressman John Lewis.

Host of Award-winning Borderland Crimes Podcast, Anchor ABC-7 – El Paso (El Paso)

Stephanie Valle has been with ABC-7 since 2001, starting as an intern. After nearly ten years working mornings, she was named News Operations Manager and anchor for ABC-7 at 4 in March 2019.

Stephanie previously served as Executive Producer and anchor of the highest-rated morning show in the area, Good Morning El Paso, for five years. She also reported for GMEP and anchored for ABC-7 at Noon for five years before that.

Her anchoring and reporting have been commended by the Texas Associated Press Broadcasters. Stephanie and the team behind Good Morning El Paso won the Best Morning Newscast award in 2017; that year, she received first place for a series of reports on babies born dependent on opioids. In 2016, Stephanie received an honorable mention from the TAPB for an investigative report on the illegal sale of underage puppies.

Stephanie was also voted Best Newscaster in What’s Up Magazine four years in a row and has been named Best News Reporter by The City Magazine.

This year, Stephanie was named the 2024 National Murrow winner and three-time Regional Murrow winner for the Borderland Crimes podcast.