Bowers was drawn to activism at an early age, following the example of her mother, a prominent community leader, and her father, a nationally recognized surgeon. She is an alumna of Spelman College and Texas Southern University, earning her bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications, with an emphasis in Broadcast Journalism.

About Rhetta

Though she is a proud native Houstonian, Representative Bowers has resided in Rowlett with her husband MSG (ret.) John P. Bowers, Jr. and their 2 children for nearly 20 years and proudly calls House District 113 home.

She is a champion for children and education. She is a former educator and has volunteered many hours on district PTA and Band Booster executive boards within the Garland Independent School District. She has maintained an active membership at St. Paul United Methodist Church and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, of which she is a lifetime member.

Rhetta Andrews Bowers is originally from Houston. She earned a bachelor's degree in telecommunications, with an emphasis in broadcast journalism. She lives with her husband, John P. Bowers Jr., and their two children, and has been an active member of St. Paul United Methodist Church and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.

Rhetta Andrews Bowers is originally from Houston. She earned a bachelor's degree in telecommunications, with an emphasis in broadcast journalism. She lives with her husband, John P. Bowers Jr., and their two children, and has been an active member of St. Paul United Methodist Church.

Upon graduation, she began her career as a Broadcast Journalist in the District of Columbia in public television working at PBS headquarters and for WETA-TV 26/Radio 90.9. She moved to commercial television once she returned home to Texas working at KCEN-TV 6 in production and later was promoted to news producer.

Upon graduation, she began her career as a Broadcast Journalist in the District of Columbia in public television working at PBS headquarters and for WETA-TV 26/Radio 90.9. She moved to commercial television once she returned home to Texas working at KCEN-TV 6 in production and later was promoted to news producer. Bowers has held many positions within the television industry, however her dedication to education was shown as the educational services coordinator for KERA TV 13/Radio 90.1.

She moved to commercial television once she returned home to Texas working at KCEN-TV 6 in production and later was promoted to news producer. Bowers has held many positions within the television industry, however her dedication to education was shown as the educational services coordinator for KERA TV 13/Radio 90.1.

Rhetta Andrews Bowers worked as an educational services coordinator for KERA TV 13/Radio 90.1. She previously worked in production and later as a news producer at KCEN-TV 6, and began her career as a broadcast journalist in public television, working at PBS headquarters and WETA-TV 26/Radio 90.9.

Representative Bowers was elected to serve House District 113 in the Texas House of Representatives on November 8, 2018. She made history elected as the first African American to represent this district. House District 113 includes parts of Rowlett, Garland, and Mesquite.

Chamber	District	Dates of Service	Legislatures	Party	City/County	Note	Counties in District
H	113	Jan 14, 2025 - Jan 12, 2027	89th	Democrat	Rowlett / Dallas	Dallas
H	113	Jan 10, 2023 - Jan 14, 2025	88th	Democrat	Rowlett / Dallas	Dallas
H	113	Jan 12, 2021 - Jan 10, 2023	87th	Democrat	Rowlett / Dallas	Dallas
H	113	Jan 8, 2019 - Jan 12, 2021	86th	Democrat	Rowlett / Dallas	Dallas

Texas Legislators: Past & Present — Member profile for Rhetta Bowers

Rhetta currently serves as the state representative for Texas House District 113. She was first elected in 2018 and is serving her fourth term.

Member profile for Rhetta Bowers

2026 Texas General Election

Rhetta believes that every hard-working Texan should have access to a job that pays a livable wage to support their family. We need to raise the minimum wage in Texas to $15/hr to ensure fair wages for all.

Jobs

Rhetta has fought for an economy that works for ALL while in Austin, and that includes small business owners and their employees. Rhetta supports our local economy and our small business owners within our communities, as they are the heart of our communities. She wants to continue fostering a supportive atmosphere where Texans can continue to start their own businesses, create jobs, and employ local residents.

In order to prepare Texas for the future and support those who are in the workforce or just entering it, Rhetta believes we need to invest in vocational training and apprenticeships. While going to college has proven to be a good path for many, not all Texans want to go to college or are able to.

Advocates for raising Texas's minimum wage to $15 per hour.

Wants to foster an environment that supports Texans starting businesses, creating jobs, and hiring local residents.

Advocates for investment in vocational training and apprenticeships.

- Advocates for raising Texas's minimum wage to $15 per hour.
- Wants to foster an environment that supports Texans starting businesses, creating jobs, and hiring local residents.
- Advocates for investment in vocational training and apprenticeships.

Economy

Rhetta hopes to pass the rest of the George Floyd Act and continue the work she and others have done to eliminate the school to prison pipeline. Rhetta promises to remain dedicated to making our communities safe for ALL of us, no matter what race, nationality, gender, or sexual orientation you are.

Criminal Justice Reform & Racial Justice

Rhetta is proud to have been a part of key criminal justice reforms that were passed in the 86th and 87th Legislative Sessions. While there is a lot more work to do to ensure racial justice and make the criminal justice system work for everyone, here are some bills that were passed in the last three years that she supported: SB 69 – Bans the use of chokeholds or similar neck restraints by law enforcement and went into effect on September 1, 2021.

One of Rhetta’s top public safety priorities is to roll back HB 1927, also known as the permitless carry bill. This bill allows individuals 21 and over who are not otherwise prohibited by state and federal law from possessing a firearm to carry a handgun without a license to carry. Permitless carry has made it possible to bypass gun safety training and make our communities less safe.

Gun Safety

Permitless carry has made it possible to bypass gun safety training and make our communities less safe. A key piece of gun safety legislation Rhetta is proud to have passed and supported is HB 103, which created the Texas Active Shooter Alert System to notify Texans in the vicinity of an active shooting scene through their phones when enacted by law enforcement.

Plans to pass the remaining provisions of the George Floyd Act and work to eliminate the school-to-prison pipeline.

Supported Senate Bill 69, which bans law enforcement's use of chokeholds and similar neck restraints.

Calls for rolling back House Bill 1927, which allows eligible Texans 21 and older to carry handguns without a license.

Supported House Bill 103, which created the Texas Active Shooter Alert System to notify people near active shooting scenes.

- Plans to pass the remaining provisions of the George Floyd Act and work to eliminate the school-to-prison pipeline.
- Supported Senate Bill 69, which bans law enforcement's use of chokeholds and similar neck restraints.
- Calls for rolling back House Bill 1927, which allows eligible Texans 21 and older to carry handguns without a license.
- Supported House Bill 103, which created the Texas Active Shooter Alert System to notify people near active shooting scenes.

Public Safety

ISSUES — Health Care: Rhetta wants to ensure all Texans have access to quality healthcare. She will work on expanding affordable medical coverage to improve overall health, through preventative care programs. Rhetta will fight against any law that attempts to take away protections and access to affordable healthcare.

ISSUES

Rhetta knows there is more work to do to make healthcare affordable and accessible for all Texans. This includes: We need to expand Medicaid in Texas. State leaders are leaving federal money on the table that could be used to provide low-income Texans and families with affordable healthcare. It is irresponsible to leave this money on the table and leave our most vulnerable neighbors behind.

Healthcare – Texans Need Affordable Healthcare

We need to expand Medicaid in Texas. State leaders are leaving federal money on the table that could be used to provide low-income Texans and families with affordable healthcare. It is irresponsible to leave this money on the table and leave our most vulnerable neighbors behind. We need to pass legislation that would make healthcare more affordable for the middle class and retired Texans. With a rising cost of living, it’s more important than ever to make sure our health needs are met without breaking the bank.

We need to pass legislation that would make healthcare more affordable for the middle class and retired Texans. With a rising cost of living, it’s more important than ever to make sure our health needs are met without breaking the bank. We need to overturn SB 8 and make abortion legal, accessible, and safe beyond 6 weeks. Most people don’t know they are pregnant until after 6 weeks, and they are now being driven out of state to get the care they need for themselves and their family.

She is happy to have supported the following legislation on behalf of the voters of HD 113: HB 39 – Rhetta co-authored this bill which designated $3 billion in additional funds to the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas in 2019. SB 827 – Caps monthly insulin costs at $25 for a 30-day supply to make this necessary, lifesaving prescription more affordable and accessible in 2021.

Plans to expand affordable medical coverage and preventive-care programs.

Advocates for expanding Medicaid in Texas.

Calls for legislation to make healthcare more affordable for middle-class and retired Texans.

Calls for repealing Senate Bill 8 and making abortion legal, accessible, and safe beyond six weeks.

Co-authored House Bill (HB) 39, which designated $3 billion in additional funding for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.

- Plans to expand affordable medical coverage and preventive-care programs.
- Advocates for expanding Medicaid in Texas.
- Calls for legislation to make healthcare more affordable for middle-class and retired Texans.
- Calls for repealing Senate Bill 8 and making abortion legal, accessible, and safe beyond six weeks.
- Co-authored House Bill (HB) 39, which designated $3 billion in additional funding for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.

Healthcare

Rhetta believes we need to increase teacher pay, provide additional training and support for our teachers, and fully fund all day Pre-K. These are all areas where we need improvements and where our spending should be concentrated. We still have much work to do to improve our public education system.

Education

Education: Investing in our teachers, students, and neighborhood public schools will continue to be Rhetta’s top priority in Austin and has to be a top priority for the state. In her first legislative session in 2019, Rhetta co-authored House Bill 3, which invested $11 billion in our public education system.

While we have passed some great legislation for public education, there are some laws that Rhetta will continue to fight against. This includes: HB 3979 – Also known as the Critical Race Theory Bill, which prohibits a teacher from being compelled to discuss current events without equally portraying both sides as morally good or bad, and it bans the 1619 Project from being taught in Texas schools. This bill also prohibits students from getting extra credit for participating in certain civic activities.

While we have passed some great legislation for public education, there are some laws that Rhetta will continue to fight against. This includes: HB 25 – This bill bans transgender kids from playing sports as themselves, forcing athletes to compete in sports based on the “biological sex” assigned to them at birth. This legislation is unnecessary and hurtful, and it brought much unneeded and negative attention to the transgender community.

Advocates for higher teacher pay, additional teacher training and support, and fully funding full-day prekindergarten.

Co-authored House Bill 3, which invested $11 billion in Texas public education.

Opposes House Bill 3979, which limits certain classroom discussions of current events and bans teaching the 1619 Project in Texas schools.

Opposes House Bill 25, which requires student athletes to compete based on sex assigned at birth.

- Advocates for higher teacher pay, additional teacher training and support, and fully funding full-day prekindergarten.
- Co-authored House Bill 3, which invested $11 billion in Texas public education.
- Opposes House Bill 3979, which limits certain classroom discussions of current events and bans teaching the 1619 Project in Texas schools.
- Opposes House Bill 25, which requires student athletes to compete based on sex assigned at birth.

As of July 22, 2026, Rhetta Andrews Bowers’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Energy & the Environment

Voting & Elections

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Rhetta Andrews Bowers

Rhetta Andrews Bowers is from Houston, Texas. She and her husband, John, have two children together. She attends St. Paul United Methodist Church.

Rhetta is a former educator and broadcast journalist. She began her career as a broadcast journalist in Washington, D.C., working at PBS headquarters and for WETA-TV 26/Radio 90.9. After returning to Texas, she worked at KCEN-TV 6, first in production and later as a news producer. She also served as the educational services coordinator for KERA TV 13/Radio 90.1. 

Rhetta is currently a Texas State Representative.

Advocates for raising the minimum wage in Texas to $15 per hour to ensure fair wages for all.

Supports investing in vocational training and apprenticeships to prepare Texans for the workforce and ensure they have access to good jobs with livable wages.

Supports common-sense gun safety measures to curtail gun violence in communities and schools.

Supports rolling back the permitless carry law, citing concerns that it bypasses gun safety training and makes communities less safe.

Supports the Texas Active Shooter Alert System to notify Texans of active shooting incidents through their phones when enacted by law enforcement.

Supports expanding Medicaid in Texas to provide affordable healthcare for low-income families and utilize federal funding.

Supports passing legislation to make healthcare more affordable for the middle class and retired Texans, emphasizing the importance of meeting health needs without financial strain.

Opposes SB 8 and advocates for making abortion legal, accessible, and safe beyond 6 weeks.

Supports increasing teacher pay, providing additional training and support for teachers, and fully funding all-day Pre-K.

Opposes certain laws affecting public education while supporting legislation that benefits it.

Opposes legislation like HB 3979 that whitewashes history education and erases the stories of communities of color.

Supports voting rights in Texas to ensure that voting is fair, accessible, and safe for all.

Rhetta is a State Representative. She works at the Texas House of Representatives, where she has been since November 2018. She previously worked as a broadcast journalist at PBS headquarters and WETA-TV 26/Radio 90.9 in Washington, D.C., in production and as a news producer at KCEN-TV 6 in Texas, and as an educational services coordinator for KERA TV 13/Radio 90.1.

Supports raising the minimum wage in Texas to $15 per hour.

Supports gun control and plans to roll back HB 1927, which allows individuals 21 and over to carry a handgun without a license.

As a state representative, supported HB 103, which created the Texas Active Shooter Alert System.

Supports expanding Medicaid in Texas to provide affordable healthcare for low-income families.

Supports making healthcare more affordable for middle class and retired Texans.

Supports access to abortion and wants to overturn Senate Bill (SB) 8, which bans abortion after six weeks.

Plans to continue fighting against some laws regarding public education.

Opposes House Bill (HB) 3979, which bans discussions of race and racism in schools, saying it "whitewashes" history education and erases stories of communities of color.

Supports ensuring voting is "fair, accessible and safe for all."

Rhetta is a former educator and broadcast journalist. She previously worked as a news producer at KCEN-TV 6 in Texas and as a broadcast journalist in Washington, D.C. She also served as the educational services coordinator for KERA TV 13/Radio 90.1. 

Rhetta is currently a Texas State Representative for District 113.

Supports gun control and plans to roll back House Bill 1927, which allows individuals over 21 to carry handguns without a license.

Opposes House Bill (HB) 3979, which restricts discussions on race and racism in schools and prevents students from receiving extra credit for engaging in specific civic activities, arguing that it sanitizes historical education and enshrines the marginalization of minority communities' narratives.

Supports raising the minimum wage in Texas to $15 per hour to ensure fair wages for all workers.

Supports the Texas Active Shooter Alert System to notify residents of active shooting situations through their phones when enacted by law enforcement.

Opposes certain laws affecting public education while supporting positive legislation.

Buket Urgen

Alejandra Gracias

Stephen W. Stanley

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