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With two weeks left until the primary runoff, state Rep. Shawn Thierrys fight for political survival is intensifying, as more of her current and former legislative colleagues have lined up behind her opponent and grown increasingly vocal in their criticism of the Houston Democrat.

This past weekend, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a Dallas Democrat who previously served in the Texas House with Thierry, spoke at a campaign event where she condemned her former colleague and restated her support for Lauren Ashley Simmons in the May 28 contest.

I dont show up for [just] anybody. Shawn Thierry is just that bad, Crockett said. Shes got to go.

Thierry, a 54-year-old Houston attorney, has been in her own partys crosshairs since last spring, when she voted for a measure barring gender-transitioning care for minors, and then delivered an emotional speech from the House floor explaining why she broke with her party. Thierrys vote, and her viral remarks, prompted a spirited and well-funded challenge from Simmons, a 36-year-old labor organizer who finished ahead of Thierry in a three-way March primary.

The two are now facing off in a runoff that will effectively decide who represents the solidly blue south Houston district next year, while testing the staying power of Democrats who vote for GOP bills opposed by the LGBTQ+ community. Thierry, the only Democrat in the Texas House to be pushed into a runoff, has countered with her own slate of endorsements from Black church leaders and six of her Democratic colleagues.

Simmons, meanwhile, has picked up support from eight Democrats who currently serve with Thierry in the Texas House and two others Crockett and former lawmaker Garnet Coleman who previously overlapped with her in the lower chamber. Several of them, including Crockett, appeared with Simmons over the weekend for a rally and a round of block-walking.

She aint never had yalls back, Crockett said, after recounting a story in which Thierry allegedly asked House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, if Democrats would be allowed to retain their committee positions if they went ahead with a plan to flee the state to thwart a GOP elections bill. They were targeting her constituents. And you know what she cared about? Her damn seat on a committee.

Thierry wound up joining more than 50 House Democrats who flew to Washington, D.C., to temporarily deny Republicans the quorum needed to pass their bill overhauling the states elections. She denied the details of Crocketts account, calling it a made up scenario designed to boost Simmons campaign.

I will conclude that it's disappointing and beyond bizarre that these Members ever believed that holding a hyperbolic press conference solely to attack a fellow Dem colleague in a Democratic runoff was a good idea, Thierry wrote on X.

Thierry added that she never raised my hand in any meeting to ask [Phelan] such a dumb question, and she suggested that some of Simmons legislative supporters should be blamed for helping Republicans restore the quorum they used to pass the elections bill.

Thierry, for her part, is touting support from a coalition of church leaders that she said is the largest collective of African American Baptist ministers ever assembled in a Democratic primary runoff. She framed it as a major political shift in the primary, pointing to the pivotal role that the Black church has shaping African-American civic engagement and mobilizing communities against societal injustices.

I would like for this to be a sign to all legislators, and those who seek to be a legislator, that you too can enjoy this type of support when you stand for righteousness, M.D Morrison Sr., pastor at Houstons New Faith Baptist Church Northeast, said while flanked by Thierry and other ministers at a recent campaign event. You too can enjoy this type of solidarity from the faith community when you stand simply for what is right.

Thierry is seeking her fifth term representing House District 146, a heavily Democratic seat that covers parts of south and southwest Houston. The district is three-quarters nonwhite and anchored by Sunnyside, a low-income, majority-Black neighborhood that once was a thriving economic hub that is trying to revitalize.

Thierry is hoping her support from the Black faith community will be enough to overcome Simmons mounting support from Democratic politicians and local political groups. Since the runoff, Simmons has added endorsements from U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher and Houston state Reps. Alma Allen, Ann Johnson and Christina Morales.

Five of Thierrys House colleagues had already gotten behind Simmons in the first round, including Houston-area Reps. Jon Rosenthal and Gene Wu. Simmons has also been endorsed by former Senate and gubernatorial nominee Beto ORourke.

Asked about her fellow Democrats who had lined up behind Simmons' campaign, Thierry said that in "a political climate like we are seeing unfold on both sides, it's understandable that some individuals have made choices to support candidates based on highly charged issues."

"Ultimately, it is the voters of District 146 who will decide," she added.

Thierry has added recent endorsements from state Reps. Richard Raymond, D-Laredo, and Sergio Muoz Jr., D-Palmview. She is also backed by Democratic state Reps. Nicole Collier of Fort Worth, Harold Dutton of Houston, Barbara Gervin-Hawkins of San Antonio and Eddie Morales Jr. of Eagle Pass.

The animus toward Thierry from within her own party comes after she broke ranks on three major GOP bills that became law: the ban on gender-transitioning care for minors; a bill aimed at removing sexually explicit books from school libraries, a designation critics feared would be used to target LGBTQ+ literature; and a requirement that transgender college athletes play on teams that align their sex assigned at birth.

Critics of Thierrys remarks on the gender-transitioning bill noted she ignored the fact that treatment decisions for minors could only be made by parents or legal guardians. A consensus of major medical groups has also argued that gender-transitioning care should be available to children and teens in the care of doctors.

A number of Republicans praised Thierrys comments, calling it a brave rebuke of what they view as a radical stance. She has received the bulk of her campaign funding from a mix of GOP donors, PACs that advocate for charter schools and school vouchers, and the PAC affiliated with Las Vegas Sands, which is aiming to legalize casino gambling in Texas. Also among Thierry's top donors is Adam Loewy, an Austin personal injury lawyer who mostly donates to Democrats.

Thierry was not the only Democrat to support the GOP legislation 11 others voted for the book-banning bill, including Collier, Dutton, Morales, Muoz and Raymond but she was by far the most outspoken. She said in another floor speech that the book bill would set up guardrails against explicit materials that have infiltrated schools, noting one that she said teaches children how to access dating websites.

Crockett said she decided to weigh in on the race after the Houston Chronicle editorial board quoted Thierry appearing to dismiss Simmons Texas House supporters as the gay ones. Thierry said the quote was taken completely out of context from a larger discussion, but in any case, Simmons campaign told the Chronicle that they received a major surge in fundraising after Thierrys remarks were published.

Simmons' top donors are the Texas Organizing Project, the Texas Gulf Coast AFL-CIO and the Houston Federation of Teachers.

Texas voters may be able to participate in the following elections: - May 4 elections for many local elected offices and bond propositions that are not part of county government. The voter registration deadline is April 4. - May 28 primary runoffs for elected offices in which no candidate won more than half of the votes during the March Republican and Democratic primaries. The voter registration deadline is April 29. - Nov. 5 general elections for many state, federal and county offices. The voter registration deadline is Oct. 7.

Cellphones, cameras, computers and other devices that can record sound or images cannot be used within 100 feet of voting stations (where ballots are marked). There are usually traffic cones or signs indicating this. Campaigning, including wearing clothing or other items that publicize candidates, political parties or measures on the ballot, is also banned beyond this point. Voters are allowed to use written notes to cast their ballot at the discretion of election officers, who may determine if the material counts as campaigning. Firearms, including handguns, are also prohibited at polling places, according to Texas law.

Voters have the right to: - cast a provisional ballot if they are registered but their name does not appear on the list of registered voters because of an administrative issue - get written instructions about how to cast a ballot or to ask a polling place officer or worker (but not about who or what to vote for) - use up to two additional ballots to make corrections if a voter makes a mistake while marking their ballot - generally cast their ballots in secret and should not be subject to intimidation - get interpretation, assistance or accommodations to vote if they have a disability or limited English proficiency - vote during work hours without being penalized or losing pay (this may not apply if a worker has two hours before or after work to go vote) - cast their ballot as long as theyre in line by 7 p.m. on Election Day A state law passed in 2023 also allows voters with disabilities or mobility problems to skip the line at their polling location and requires each polling location to have a designated parking spot for curbside voting.

If you have contracted COVID-19 or are exhibiting symptoms, consider requesting an emergency early voting ballot or using curbside voting. Emergency ballot: These ballots can be requested if you become sick or disabled close to an election and are unable to go to a polling place on Election Day. To qualify, you must designate a representative to submit an application in person on your behalf and have a certified doctors note. The application must be received by your countys early voting clerk before 5 p.m. on Election Day. Your ballot must be returned by the same designated representative before 7 p.m. on Election Day to be counted. Contact your county elections office for more details about an emergency early-voting ballot due to sickness or disability. Curbside voting: You can also contact your county elections office to determine if youre eligible for curbside voting, which must be made available at every polling place for voters with disabilities unable to enter a polling location.

At the polls, voters can talk to election officers or poll workers if they run into issues. The secretary of states office has a helpline at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683) to reach state attorneys available to assist voters and election officials with questions. A coalition of voting rights groups runs voter protection hotlines in several languages. Disability Rights Texas also offers a helpline for people with disabilities.

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Houston House Democratic primary gets uglier ahead of runoff - The Texas Tribune