Claire Reynolds

Meet Claire

Hi! I’m Claire Reynolds and I’m the Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress in Texas’s 11th Congressional District. I live in Austin, and gerrymandering has placed me in District 11, which stretches out through San Angelo, Midland, and past Odessa.

I was born in Indiana and grew up in central Illinois, deep in soybean country. I received my degree in journalism from Northwestern University (Medill School of Journalism), and lived in Chicago for several years. That’s where I learned to love the Cubs and to never, ever put ketchup on a hot dog. After a few more Chicago winters, though, I headed out to San Diego, and earned my Juris Doctorate at the University of San Diego School of Law and passed the California bar. That’s also where I learned that I was not cut out for surfing.

Rocking bangs I moved to Texas in 2007, and I haven’t looked back. Texas is my home, and I’ve lived here longer than I’ve lived anywhere else. I met my husband here, raised my kids here, and I learned exactly who I am here. I think Big Bend National Park is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen and we head out west at least three times a year for the rocks, the sunsets, and the chili. Most of all, though, I love that Texas is filled with such a diverse and vibrant population of oil field roughnecks, tech entrepreneurs, cosmic cowboys, barbecue gourmands, urban artists, hard-working immigrants, musicians of all stripes, good-old-boy cattle ranchers, and literal astronauts. It’s an amazing place and I’m honored to be considered to represent this beautiful and inspiring state.

Why I’m Running

I’m angry. Really, really angry. The President of the United States is trampling the civil rights of Americans and appears to believe the Constitution is just a suggestion. He’s taking over powers that Congress is cheerfully abdicating. He’s treating immigrants—the hard-working backbone of our society—like criminals at best and animals at worst. He’s destroying our relationships with America’s longstanding allies and cozying up to our most dangerous adversaries. He’s dismantling vital scientific research programs and social institutions. He’s obsessed with punishing anyone who dares criticize him. And Congress, including our own District 11 representative, appears to be overjoyed about this obvious slide into fascism and authoritarianism.

I’m optimistic. I don’t think we’ll ever get back to “normal.” But that’s okay, because “normal” wasn’t really working for a lot of our most vulnerable neighbors. Now, we have the opportunity to build something better. Our immigration system is in tatters? That’s okay, it was pretty messy to begin with. Our public education system has been defunded? Let’s rethink how public education should work, from the ground up. Let’s take the mess left behind and instead of trying to recreate a mythical fantasy of what we had, let’s make something new. Something that works for everyone, and not just the wealthy and the white.