Meet Rhetta

Rhetta Bowers is a public servant and mother who has dedicated her life to building pathways to opportunity.

Drawn to activism at an early age, Rhetta followed 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.

Eager to amplify community voices, Rhetta began her career in broadcast news which brought her to KCEN-TV as a producer and later as an education services coordinator for KERA. Passionate about education, Rhetta taught in the Garland Independent School District and volunteered many hours on district PTA and Band Booster executive boards as her two children made their way through Garland public schools.

Concerned that her neighbors didn’t have a seat at the table in Texas government, Rhetta ran for the Texas House in 2018 and won. Being of African American and Caribbean descent, she became the first Afro-Latina elected to the Texas House.

She has earned a reputation as an effective, results-oriented voice for the community — from successfully leading the charge on the CROWN Act to end hairstyle discrimination in schools and workplaces, to standing up for voting rights in Texas to ensure voting is fair, accessible and safe for all. Rhetta built a record of results by taking on the tough fights, being a strong voice, and working with others to get things done.

With our democracy and fundamental rights under attack, Rhetta Bowers is running for Congress to carry on the legacy of Colin Allred, our district's first Black member of Congress, protect our rights, and advance equal opportunity for all so that every Texas family, small business, and community can thrive.