### Jan 14, 2025 - Jan 12, 2027
House District 147

Legislatures:
    89th
Party:
    Democrat
Home City/County:
    Houston / Harris
Counties in district:
    Harris

Member profile for Jolanda "Jo" Jones - Texas Legislative Reference Library (LRL)

She has a proven track record of leadership, commitment, charitable work, and teamwork and is a highly sought-after public speaker. Jolanda was initiated into Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, at the University of Houston’s Epsilon Lambda, in the Fall of 1987.

Biography | Texas House of Representatives

Jolanda was initiated into Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, at the University of Houston’s Epsilon Lambda, in the Fall of 1987. She is a current dues-paying member of Mu Kappa Omega!

Jolanda Jones lives in Houston. She was initiated into Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, at the University of Houston’s Epsilon Lambda in 1987 and is a current member of Mu Kappa Omega.

Rep. Jones, Jolanda "Jo" - Texas House of Representatives

2026 Texas General Election

Worker's Rights: Supporting labor unions and an economy that works for all

Protecting the right to organize

Paying living wages with benefits, including health care

Jolanda Jones | Issues

Protecting the right to organize

Paying living wages with benefits, including health care

Providing secure and dignified retirements

Paying living wages with benefits, including health care

Providing secure and dignified retirements

Providing safe workspaces and working conditions

Providing secure and dignified retirements

Providing safe workspaces and working conditions

In her words:

“But I do represent union members, and unions built this country most times for insufficient wages. I’m here to support the longshoremen because they do work other people don’t want to do, and now they’re replacing people with robots? I’ve heard that they’ve cut 50% of the employees. People need, people WANT to have good jobs with benefits. They want to work. They want to provide valuable products and services to their communities, and it’s just wrong for whoever is replacing people with robots. Y’all need to stop it. You don’t want people like, committing crimes, but you want to fire people who are willing to work. And I’m a firm believer that if management does not support unions, they will crush the workers and the people that do the work that most people don’t want to do are the union workers, and so I drove out here to support the Longshoremen, because what the companies are doing to them is wrong. What it’s doing to their families is wrong. They want to work, allow them to work, stop replacing them with robots, and pay them a living wage with health benefits. Because they have families. And we need what they make. Thank you.”

Texas District 147 Representative Jolanda Jones Stands with the ILA at the Picket Lines

Expanding the availability of quality postpartum and prenatal care for women

Supporting resources and funding for women owned small businesses

Fighting for equal pay protections to ensure women are paid fairly

Economic Development: Advancing small and minority owned businesses

Advocating for the Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) program which helps to foster the growth of women and minority-owned firms as they seek to do business with the state

Ensuring the expansion and opportunity of small businesses

Advocating for the Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) program which helps to foster the growth of women and minority-owned firms as they seek to do business with the state

Ensuring the expansion and opportunity of small businesses

Ensuring Texas remains a top destination to do business with record-setting job growth

Ensuring the expansion and opportunity of small businesses

Ensuring Texas remains a top destination to do business with record-setting job growth

Supports workers' right to organize, living wages and benefits, retirement security, and safe working conditions.

Calls for companies to stop replacing longshoremen with robots and to provide workers with living wages and health benefits.

Supports resources and funding for women-owned small businesses and the Historically Underutilized Business program for women- and minority-owned firms seeking state contracts.

Supports expanding opportunities for small businesses and keeping Texas a destination for business and job growth.

- Supports workers' right to organize, living wages and benefits, retirement security, and safe working conditions.
- Calls for companies to stop replacing longshoremen with robots and to provide workers with living wages and health benefits.
- Supports resources and funding for women-owned small businesses and the Historically Underutilized Business program for women- and minority-owned firms seeking state contracts.
- Supports expanding opportunities for small businesses and keeping Texas a destination for business and job growth.

Economy

Public Safety & Criminal Justice Reform: Fighting for our kids, families and seniors

Supporting legislation to eliminate guns from falling into the wrong hands

Driving policies that enforce good policing and reforming our criminal justice system

Supporting legislation to eliminate guns from falling into the wrong hands

Driving policies that enforce good policing and reforming our criminal justice system

Support reforms for reentry into society for the workforce for the formerly incarcerated

Driving policies that enforce good policing and reforming our criminal justice system

Support reforms for reentry into society for the workforce for the formerly incarcerated

Fixing a broken juvenile justice system

Support reforms for reentry into society for the workforce for the formerly incarcerated

Fixing a broken juvenile justice system

Rebuilding trust in the judicial process.

Supports legislation intended to prevent guns from falling into the wrong hands.

Supports police reform, criminal-justice reform, workforce reentry reforms for formerly incarcerated people, and juvenile-justice reform.

- Supports legislation intended to prevent guns from falling into the wrong hands.
- Supports police reform, criminal-justice reform, workforce reentry reforms for formerly incarcerated people, and juvenile-justice reform.

Public Safety

Healthcare: Ensuring health care is affordable and accessible to all Texans

Reducing health disparities for low-income Texans and people of color

Simplifying access and entry to Children’s Medicaid & CHIP

Reducing health disparities for low-income Texans and people of color

Simplifying access and entry to Children’s Medicaid & CHIP

Expansion of Medicaid and healthcare coverage of our uninsured population

Simplifying access and entry to Children’s Medicaid & CHIP

Expansion of Medicaid and healthcare coverage of our uninsured population

Increasing mental health and substance abuse services

Expansion of Medicaid and healthcare coverage of our uninsured population

Increasing mental health and substance abuse services

Women’s Health: Empowering women’s bodies, voices and rights

Standing up for a woman’s right to choose

Expanding the availability of quality postpartum and prenatal care for women

Standing up for a woman’s right to choose

Expanding the availability of quality postpartum and prenatal care for women

Supporting resources and funding for women owned small businesses

Supports reducing health disparities among low-income Texans and people of color and simplifying enrollment in Children's Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program.

Supports expanding Medicaid coverage for uninsured Texans and increasing mental-health and substance-abuse services.

Supports abortion access and expanded prenatal and postpartum care.

- Supports reducing health disparities among low-income Texans and people of color and simplifying enrollment in Children's Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program.
- Supports expanding Medicaid coverage for uninsured Texans and increasing mental-health and substance-abuse services.
- Supports abortion access and expanded prenatal and postpartum care.

Healthcare

Public Education: Get the TEA out of HISD

Ending the state takeover of HISD and restoring local control of HISD to the locally elected Board of Trustees

Raising pay for teachers and all public-school employees

Ending the state takeover of HISD and restoring local control of HISD to the locally elected Board of Trustees

Raising pay for teachers and all public-school employees

Opposing the use of public money for private school vouchers

Raising pay for teachers and all public-school employees

Opposing the use of public money for private school vouchers

Improving access to trade programs, vocational training, and community colleges

Opposing the use of public money for private school vouchers

Improving access to trade programs, vocational training, and community colleges

Crafting policies to close the learning gap for students

Improving access to trade programs, vocational training, and community colleges

Crafting policies to close the learning gap for students

Ensuring our schools are safe from gun violence

Ensuring our schools are safe from gun violence

Closing the digital divide in public education

Providing equitable funding to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs)

Closing the digital divide in public education

Providing equitable funding to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs)

Opposes the state takeover of Houston Independent School District and supports restoring control to its locally elected board.

Supports raising pay for teachers and public-school employees and opposes using public money for private-school vouchers.

Supports improving access to trade programs, vocational training, and community colleges.

Supports policies to close student learning gaps, narrow the digital divide in public education, and provide equitable funding to historically Black colleges and universities.

- Opposes the state takeover of Houston Independent School District and supports restoring control to its locally elected board.
- Supports raising pay for teachers and public-school employees and opposes using public money for private-school vouchers.
- Supports improving access to trade programs, vocational training, and community colleges.
- Supports policies to close student learning gaps, narrow the digital divide in public education, and provide equitable funding to historically Black colleges and universities.

Education

As of July 22, 2026, Jolanda Jones’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Energy & the Environment

Voting Rights: Opposing any unnecessary barriers to voting

Working to ensure increased access to the ballot by promoting legislation that will expand voting rights

Replacing our opt-in voter registration system with an expanded and more inclusive opt-out system

Working to ensure increased access to the ballot by promoting legislation that will expand voting rights

Replacing our opt-in voter registration system with an expanded and more inclusive opt-out system

Restoring individuals voting rights who have served time in prison

Replacing our opt-in voter registration system with an expanded and more inclusive opt-out system

Restoring individuals voting rights who have served time in prison

Fighting against laws that will hinder access to the ballot

Fighting against laws that will hinder access to the ballot

Fighting to protect the federal Voting Rights Act

We need to change the way legislators do redistricting, especially in light of the weakening and likely decimation of the Voting Rights Act. I would support a truly independent commission.

Texas State Representative Democratic Candidates | League of Women Voters of Houston | Houston, TX (Jolanda Jones)

Recently, I left the state with my colleagues to prevent a quorum in the Texas House of Representatives and thereby to stop the passage of racist redistricting maps that disenfranchise Black and Brown voters in Houston and in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. I am not afraid to fight Republicans who want to pass racist laws.

Opposes unnecessary barriers to voting and supports legislation expanding ballot access.

Supports an opt-out voter-registration system, restoring voting rights after incarceration, and protecting the federal Voting Rights Act.

Supports creating an independent redistricting commission.

Said she left Texas with colleagues to prevent a quorum and block redistricting maps she described as disenfranchising Black and Brown voters.

- Opposes unnecessary barriers to voting and supports legislation expanding ballot access.
- Supports an opt-out voter-registration system, restoring voting rights after incarceration, and protecting the federal Voting Rights Act.
- Supports creating an independent redistricting commission.
- Said she left Texas with colleagues to prevent a quorum and block redistricting maps she described as disenfranchising Black and Brown voters.

Voting & Elections

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Jolanda Jones

- Supports police reform, criminal-justice reform, workforce reentry reforms for formerly incarcerated people, and juvenile-justice reform.

Jolanda Jones rose from a childhood of poverty and tragedy. She attended the University of Houston. She has a son.

Texas House of Representatives District 147 - Ballotpedia

Jolanda is a lawyer and former state representative. She has a background in civil rights and social justice. She previously worked as an attorney, where she focused on reforming the criminal justice system.

Jolanda is currently a Texas state representative for House District 147. She was first elected in 2022 and re-elected in 2023. She previously served as a member of the Houston City Council, representing District B.

Black LGBTQ Representation Triples in Texas Legislature; Christian ...

Jones beats Bess in the Democratic primary runoff for House District ...

For Candidate Jolanda Jones on Issue economy:  
Supports protecting the right to organize.

For Candidate Jolanda Jones on Issue economy: Supports paying living wages with benefits, including health care.

For Candidate Jolanda Jones on Issue economy:  
Supports providing "secure and dignified retirements."

Supports providing "safe workspaces and working conditions."

Supports the Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) program to foster the growth of women and minority-owned firms.

Supports providing resources and funding for women-owned small businesses.

For Candidate Jolanda Jones on Issue public-safety:  
Supports policies that enforce good policing and aims to reform the criminal justice system.

For Candidate Jolanda Jones on Issue public-safety:  
Believes in "rebuilding trust in the judicial process."

For Candidate Jolanda Jones on Issue public-safety:  
Wants to address issues in the juvenile justice system.

For Candidate Jolanda Jones on Issue public-safety:  
Supports legislation to eliminate guns from falling into the wrong hands.

Supports fighting for the safety and well-being of kids, families, and seniors.

Supports expanding access to quality postpartum and prenatal care for women.

For Candidate Jolanda Jones on Issue healthcare:  
Plans to increase mental health and substance abuse services.

Supports reducing health disparities for low-income Texans and people of color.

Opposes the use of public money for private school vouchers.

For Candidate Jolanda Jones on Issue education: Supports raising pay for teachers and all public-school employees.

Supports providing equitable funding to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

Believes in ensuring schools are safe from gun violence.

Supports restoring voting rights to individuals who have served time in prison.

Supports replacing the current opt-in voter registration system with an expanded and more inclusive opt-out system.

Jolanda is a Texas State Representative. She works at the Texas House of Representatives. She previously worked at the Houston City Council, representing District B since 2019. Before that, she practiced law in private practice as an attorney focusing on criminal justice reform.

Jolanda Jones is currently a member of the Texas House of Representatives, representing District 147. She won a special election to fill the remainder of the previous representative’s term in 2022 and won reelection later that year. Jones previously served on the Houston City Council, representing District B. She was first elected to the council in 2019.

Supports protecting the right to organize.

Supports paying "living wages with benefits, including health care."

Supports providing secure and dignified retirements.

Wants to provide safe workspaces and working conditions.

Supports the Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) program, which aims to grow women- and minority-owned firms seeking state business.

Supports policies that promote "good policing" and aims to reform the criminal justice system.

Wants to rebuild trust in the judicial process.

Wants to address issues in the juvenile justice system.

Promises to advocate for children, families, and seniors.

Wants to increase mental health and substance abuse services.

Supports increasing wages for teachers and all public school staff.

Wants to improve access to trade programs, vocational training, and community colleges.

Opposes using public funds for private school vouchers.

Wants to ensure schools are safe from gun violence.

Buket Urgen

Mauricio Mendez

Theodis Daniel

- Your state representative represents the interests of your local district in the Texas House of Representatives. The State House of Representatives, along with the State Senate, makes up your state lawmaking body: the Texas State Legislature
- Your state representative can author, sponsor, and vote on bills that may become state laws. 
- There are 150 members of the Texas House of Representatives, each representing a single district. Representatives must be at least 21 years old and reside in the state for at least two years before their election. 
- State representatives are elected to two-year terms during even-numbered years. There are no term limits. 
- State representatives make $7,200 annually in addition to a $221 payment per day during legislative sessions and mileage reimbursements.

Your representative and state lawmaker in the Texas House of Representatives.