Congratulations to Molly Cook for earning the endorsement of the Houston Chronicle. Even though I am a paid subscriber, I do not hold the paper in high regard, given their poor journalistic coverage of our fascist state government. But a dead clock is correct twice a day. I continue supporting them because I believe we should all support our local papers (blogs and independent media sites). Anyway, here are some highlights from their endorsement.
Maybe only an emergency room nurse could think that a 14-hour day working at the Capitol is easy.
That seems to be the case for Molly Cook, the energetic community organizer and public health advocate who is still juggling 12-hour nursing shifts while getting used to the very big shoes left by former state Sen. John Whitmire after he was elected Houston mayor. She took on an experienced lawmaker to win a special election and secured another victory in a crowded primary field. Now, Cook, 33, has hit the ground running preparing forthe next legislative session beginning in January. …
She’s still doing the sorts of grassroots work she’s always done as a progressive activist focused on equity, transit and other issues. Only now she has a Senate staff to help. She’s still running on a nurse’s agenda, meaning she’ll use a public health lens, rather than ideology, to evaluate policy. And she said she’s already making good on campaign promises, meeting with senators and state agencies to begin crafting achievable, bipartisan wins as well as considering the more paradigm-shifting work she became known for while challenging the I-45 expansion and championing the voter-driven effort to get more equitable representation for Houston at the regional planning level.
“We’re taking a ‘yes, and’ approach,” she told the editorial board. …
Even with her short tenure in the Legislature, voters in the diverse Senate District 15 should feel confident saying yes to sending her back to office in January. …
we especially believe Cook’s experience on the frontlines of our medical system make her a valuable asset in Austin. She’s seen patients who didn’t make it because a family member didn’t know how to administer CPR. She’s felt the chill among her her hospital colleagues, who must care for pregnant women after Texas enacted a near total ban on abortion. And she knows the toll violent crime can take.
Between the hospital shifts and long days in Austin that Cook has already put it in, she’s earned a full term and the chance to turn her knowledge into policy.
Source: Endorsement: Molly Cook or Joseph Trahan for Texas Senate District 15
Unlike many politicians who refuse to acknowledge injustice even in a measured manner, Molly Cook has not shied away from a sensitive and complicated topic like the war in Gaza and the surrounding region. Her recent tweet is probative.
Statement from Senator Cook. pic.twitter.com/NO6rf0xyT3
— Senator Molly Cook (@MollyforTexas) September 23, 2024
We expect much from Molly Cook. Progressives have not had real victories in Texas at the state level. Cook’s work and persistence, along with a huge posse, prove that when progressive work and engagement are achieved, they win.