Marc Veasey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marc Veasey
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 33rd district |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 95th district |
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| In office January 11, 2005 – January 3, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Glenn Lewis |
| Succeeded by | Nicole Collier |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Marc Allison Veasey
January 3, 1971 Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Tonya Jackson |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Texas Wesleyan University (BA) |
Marc Allison Veasey was born on January 3, 1971. He is an American politician and a member of the Democratic Party. Currently, he serves in the United States House of Representatives for Texas's 33rd congressional district. Before this, from 2005 to 2013, he was a member of the Texas House of Representatives. There, he was a leader for the Democratic group.
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Early Life and School
Marc Veasey was born in Fort Worth, Texas. His parents were Connie and Joseph Veasey. He grew up with his parents and brother, Ryan. They lived in different rental homes in the Stop Six area of Fort Worth.
When he was ten, his parents divorced. Marc, Ryan, and their mother moved to the Como neighborhood. They lived with their grandmother. Marc went to Arlington Heights High School in Fort Worth. Later, he studied at Texas Wesleyan University. He earned a degree in mass communications.
Starting His Career
After college, Marc Veasey worked in a few different jobs. He was a substitute teacher, helping out in classrooms. He also worked as a sportswriter, writing about sports. He even wrote scripts for an advertising company.
One summer, he volunteered for U.S. Representative Martin Frost. A volunteer helps out without getting paid. He did such a good job that he was hired as a field representative. This means he worked directly with people in the community. Marc Veasey worked for Representative Frost for five years.
Serving in the Texas House
The Texas House of Representatives is where state laws are made. Marc Veasey decided to run for a seat there.
How He Was Elected
In 2004, a new map for voting districts was made in Texas. This changed some political areas. Marc Veasey decided to run against another Democrat, Glenn Lewis. He won the primary election, which is like a first round of voting. Then, he won the main election without anyone running against him.
He was re-elected several times after that. He won again in 2006, 2008, and 2010. Each time, he won with a very high percentage of the votes.
What He Did in Office
Marc Veasey served in the Texas House from 2005 to 2013. He was a leader for the Democratic members in the House. He helped guide their work.
He also wrote a bill, which is a proposed law. This bill asked for a study to help enforce the James Byrd Jr. hate crime bill better. A hate crime bill helps protect people from crimes motivated by hate against their race, religion, or other groups.
His Committee Work
While in the Texas House, Marc Veasey worked on several important committees. Committees are groups that focus on specific topics.
- Elections Committee: This group deals with how elections are run.
- Environmental Regulation Committee: This committee works on laws about protecting the environment.
- Pensions, Investments, and Financial Services Committee: This group handles money matters for the state.
- Redistricting Committee: This committee helps draw the maps for voting districts.
- Voter Identification & Voter Fraud Select Committee: He was the Vice Chair of this committee. It looked into rules for showing ID when voting.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
The U.S. House of Representatives is part of the U.S. Congress. This is where federal laws are made for the whole country.
His Elections to Congress
2012 Election
After the 2010 U.S. Census, a new voting district was created in Texas. It was called the 33rd congressional district. Marc Veasey decided to run for this new seat. The district includes parts of Tarrant and Dallas counties. It has many different groups of people living there.
Many candidates ran in the Democratic primary election. Marc Veasey won the first round, but he needed more than half the votes. So, he went into a runoff election against Domingo García. Marc Veasey won the runoff. In the main election, he won against Chuck Bradley. Marc Veasey became the first African-American U.S. Representative elected from Tarrant County.
2014 Election
Marc Veasey ran for re-election in 2014. He won the primary election against Tom Sanchez. In the general election, he did not have a Republican opponent. He won against a Libertarian candidate, Jason Reeves.
2016 Election
In 2016, Marc Veasey ran for re-election again. He won the primary election against Carlos Quintanilla. He then won the general election against Republican M. Mark Mitchell.
2018 Election
Marc Veasey once again won his primary election against Carlos Quintanilla. In the general election, he won against Willie Billups and Jason Reeves.
2020 Election
For the 2020 primary, Marc Veasey won against Sean Segura. He was supported by a major newspaper, The Dallas Morning News. In the general election, he won against Fabian Cordova Vasquez and other candidates.
His Political Views
Marc Veasey often votes in line with President Joe Biden's ideas. This means he supports many of the President's plans.
In July 2024, Marc Veasey suggested that Joe Biden should not run for president again.
Civil Rights
Marc Veasey supports civil rights. He voted to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. This law helps protect women from violence. He was also seen as a good candidate by the Feminist Majority Foundation. He helped support the Student Non-Discrimination Act. This act aims to prevent unfair treatment of students.
Energy and Oil
Marc Veasey has supported Texas's oil and energy interests. He has disagreed with groups like the Sierra Club on some environmental issues. For example, he supported offshore oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
In 2021, President Joe Biden stopped the Keystone XL pipeline project. He also paused new oil and gas leases on federal lands. Marc Veasey spoke up to defend Texas's oil industry during these changes.
His Committee Work in Congress
In the U.S. House, Marc Veasey serves on important committees:
- Committee on Armed Services: This committee deals with military and defense matters.
- Subcommittee on Strategic Forces: Focuses on nuclear weapons and missile defense.
- Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces: Deals with air and ground military forces.
- Committee on Energy and Commerce: This committee handles laws about energy, trade, and health.
- Subcommittee on Energy: Focuses on energy policy.
- Subcommittee on Communication and Technology: Deals with communication and technology laws.
Groups He Belongs To
Marc Veasey is also a member of several special groups in Congress called caucuses. These groups bring together members who share common interests.
- Congressional Black Caucus: A group of African-American members of Congress.
- LGBT Equality Caucus: Works to promote equality for LGBTQ+ people.
- Congressional Arts Caucus: Supports the arts and cultural programs.
- Congressional Solar Caucus: Promotes solar energy.
- Blue Collar Caucus: Focuses on issues important to working-class families.
- Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus: Works to improve emergency services.
- U.S.-Japan Caucus: Promotes good relations between the U.S. and Japan.
- New Democrat Coalition: A group of moderate Democrats.
- Medicare for All Caucus: Supports a healthcare system where everyone has coverage.
His Family Life
Marc Veasey is married to Tonya Jackson. She used to work for the Texas Senate. They have one son together. Marc Veasey's uncle, Robert James English, was a television reporter. He also worked for Jim Wright, who was once the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Images for kids
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Official photo of Marc Veasey.
