He’s bringing change to Texas!
26-year-old Jalen McKee-Rodriguez defeated the incumbent and his former boss, Jada Andrews-Sullivan, to represent District 2 for the San Antonio City Council. McKee-Rodriguez received 63% of the vote compared to Andrews-Sullivan’s 37%, making history as the first openly gay Black man to be elected to any office in the history of the state of Texas, Kens5 News reports.
He took to social media to thank everyone for their support, saying, “We did it! Thank you to my wonderful and supportive husband and family, the amazing team that had my back every step of the way, every friend who supported me, and every voter who placed their trust in me. Thank you.”
We did it! Thank you to my wonderful and supportive husband and family, the amazing team that had my back every step of the way, every friend who supported me, and every voter who placed their trust in me. Thank you! pic.twitter.com/29MwHaQq8I
— Councilman-Elect Jalen McKee-Rodriguez (@theloserteacher) June 6, 2021
McKee Rodriguez received support from the LGBTQ Victory Fund and the Texas Freedom Network (TFN) Pac, a political sect of the Texas Freedom Network who spoke about the significance of his election.
“Jalen and Teri represent a new generation of leaders that have been making gains across the state. They ran bold, unapologetic campaigns based on progressive values, and they won. We are excited to see Jalen and Teri take their seats on the council and to see them deliver for San Antonians on issues like the climate crisis, police accountability, housing, and much more. We congratulate them both on their empathetic victories tonight,” the TFN PAC said via statement.
A former math teacher, McKee-Rodriguez’s first order of business is creating a more equitable budget for the district. He hopes that his election opens doors for many others and is proof that everyone deserves representation.
“A lot of people said that District 2 wouldn’t be ready for a candidate like me. Would District 2 be ready for a young gay candidate? Is Texas ready for a gay Black man to be elected anywhere and to any position? And so I think what we proved and what the community proved is that everyone deserves representation, and if you have the right motives and if you have the right passions and if you’re a good listener, the people will trust that. I hope this opens doors for a lot of people,” McKee-Rodriguez said.
Congratulations, Jalen! We know you're going to do great things!
Photo Courtesy of Jalen McKee-Rodriguez/Twitter