Hubert Vo (Vietnamese: Hubert Võ, born May 30, 1956) is an American politician who is a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives for House District 149. He is the first and (to date) only Vietnamese American to be elected to the Texas legislature.
Hubert Vo | |
|---|---|
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| Member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 149th district | |
| Assumed office January 11, 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Talmadge L. Heflin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 30, 1956 |
| Party | Democratic |
| University of Houston (BS) | |
Personal life
editVo was born in South Vietnam and attended French language schools before fleeing with his family for the United States in 1975, when he was 19 years old. The family settled in Lubbock before moving to Houston.[1]
Vo is a 1983 graduate of the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree. He is married and has three children.
Political career
editVo currently serves as a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives, representing the 149th District which contains part of Harris County including part of west Houston and the suburbs of Alief and Katy. Vo was elected in 2004, defeating the incumbent Republican, Talmadge Heflin by the razor-thin margin of 20,695 to 20,662.[2]
Talmadge Heflin was the Republican nominee again in 2006, seeking a rematch with Hubert Vo in the election of Tuesday, November 7, 2006. Vo won re-election with 54% of the vote.
The Houston Chronicle has reported numerous stories about apartment complexes owned by Vo. The complexes have been cited by the City of Houston for various building code violations.[3]
In the 2008 Presidential election primaries Vo initially endorsed Senator Hillary Clinton,[4] but later spoke for Texas Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders for Obama.[5]
He won re-election in the 2010 election.[6]
In 2014, Hubert Vo endorsed a program that would allow food stamps to be used at restaurants such as Taste of Texas and Luby's.
In 2016, Vo won re-nomination in the Democratic primary against challenger Demetria Smith, 4,442 votes (64.9%) to 2,406 (35.1%).
In its 2021 list of the best and worst legislators, Texas Monthly included Vo among four legislators dubbed "The Furniture" with little legislative effectiveness who "are scarcely distinguishable from their desks, chairs, and spittoons."[7]
Current legislative committees
editHubert Vo has been a member of the following committees:
- Economic and Small Business Development, Vice Chair
- House Administration, Member
- Insurance, Member
- Public Safety, Member[8]
References
edit- ↑ Cobler, Paul; Ma, Hillary (April 29, 2025). "Despite size, Houston's Vietnamese population lags when it comes to political engagement". Houston Landing. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
- ↑ "1992 - Current Election History". Office of the [Texas] Secretary of State. Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
- ↑ "Lawmaker Vo used state letterhead in complaint to HPD". Houston Chronicle. April 12, 2008. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- ↑ Leibowitz, Vince (February 5, 2008). "Texas Presidential Primary Endorsements: Who Has Endorsed & Who Is Up For Grabs". Capitol Annex. Archived from the original on September 19, 2008. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
- ↑ "Asian Americans for Obama - Seattle". Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- ↑ Grissom, Brandi; Hamilton, Reeve; Hu, Elise; Ramsey, Ross; Ramshaw, Emily; Smith, Morgan; Stiles, Matt; Aguilar, Julián; Muto, David; Galbraith, Kate; Aaronson, Becca; Chang, Julie; Hallman, Tristan; Brown, Emily (November 2, 2010). "Yes, the GOP Wave Turned Out to Be a Tsunami". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
- ↑ Hooks, Christopher; Ratcliffe, R.G.; Zelinski, Andrea (July 2021). "2021: The Best and Worst Legislators". Texas Monthly.
- ↑ "Representative Hubert Vo's Biography". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
External links
edit- Campaign website of Hubert Vo
- Official biography at the Texas House of Representatives website.