Gene Wu | |
|---|---|
 Wu in 2017 | |
| Minority Leader of theTexas House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office January 14, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Trey Martinez Fischer |
| Member of theTexas House of Representatives from the137th district | |
| Assumed office January 8, 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Scott Hochberg |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Eugene Yuanzhi Wu (1978-03-23)March 23, 1978 (age 47) Guangzhou, Guangdong, China |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Texas A&M University (BS) University of Texas at Austin (MPA) South Texas College of Law (JD) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | Campaign website |
Eugene Yuanzhi Wu (Chinese:吳元之;pinyin:Wú Yuánzhī; born March 23, 1978) is an American lawyer and politician who has representedTexas's 137th House of Representatives district in theTexas House of Representatives since 2013.[1][2] A member of theDemocratic Party, he was elected minority leader of the Texas House for the 89th Legislature in 2024, succeedingTrey Martinez Fischer.[3][4] Before his election to the legislature, Wu worked as a prosecutor in theHarris County district attorney's office and later as a private-practice attorney in Houston.[5][6]
Wu was born in the city ofGuangzhou inGuangdong province, China, and immigrated to the United States with his family as a young child.[7][8] His family first lived inOdessa, Texas, before settling insouthwest Houston, including theSharpstown community area.[9][10]
Wu attended Ed White Elementary School, Fondren Middle School, andSt. Thomas' Episcopal School, all in Houston.[1][6] He received a Bachelor of Science fromTexas A&M University, a Master of Public Affairs from theUniversity of Texas at Austin, and a Juris Doctor fromSouth Texas College of Law Houston.[5][1]
Wu was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2012 to represent District 137, a diverse, heavily urban district in southwest Houston that includes parts of Sharpstown andAlief.[1][11] He took office on January 8, 2013, succeeding longtime Democratic representativeScott Hochberg, and has been re‑elected in each subsequent cycle.[12][1]
Wu’s legislative work has focused on public education, juvenile justice and criminal justice reform, child welfare, and issues affecting immigrant communities, particularly in Houston’s southwest corridor.[8][13] Commentators have noted his frequent role in debates over immigration enforcement, voting and redistricting legislation, and proposals affecting Asian American and other minority communities in Texas.[3][14]
In the 89th Legislature, Wu serves as vice chair of the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence and sits on the Appropriations Committee, the Appropriations Subcommittee on Articles I, IV, and V, and select and standing committees related to redistricting and congressional maps.[15][16] In prior sessions he has served on committees including Human Services, Energy Resources, Elections, County Affairs, Juvenile Justice and Family Issues, and Pensions, Investments and Financial Services.[17]
In December 2024 House Democrats chose Wu to lead their caucus for the 89th Legislature, replacingTrey Martinez Fischer as chair.[3][18] As caucus chair, he led a 2025 walkout by House Democrats during a special session on mid‑decade congressional redistricting, denying the chamber a quorum and briefly delaying passage of Republican‑backed maps.[19][20]
GovernorGreg Abbott subsequently filed an emergency petition with theSupreme Court of Texas seeking Wu’s removal from office, arguing that his absence and the quorum break amounted to abandoning his duties; Attorney GeneralKen Paxton and other Republican officials pursued related legal actions against Democratic members.[21][22] Wu and the other absent Democrats returned to Austin later that month for a subsequent special session, after which new congressional maps were approved and signed into law, prompting further redistricting battles and litigation in Texas and other states ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.[23][24]
Source:[25]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Gene Wu (Incumbent) | 19,286 | 76.31 | |
| Libertarian | Lee Sharp | 5,988 | 23.69 | |
| Total votes | 25,274 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Gene Wu (Incumbent) | 14,451 | 76.02 | |
| Libertarian | Lee Sharp | 4,559 | 23.98 | |
| Total votes | 19,010 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Gene Wu (Incumbent) | 23,502 | 81.48 | |
| Libertarian | Lee Sharp | 5,342 | 18.52 | |
| Total votes | 28,844 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Gene Wu (Incumbent) | 17,616 | 88.28 | |
| Libertarian | Lee Sharp | 2,338 | 11.72 | |
| Total votes | 19,954 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Gene Wu (Incumbent) | 18,088 | 66.99 | |
| Republican | Kendall L. Baker | 8,178 | 30.29 | |
| Libertarian | Dan Biggs | 735 | 2.72 | |
| Total votes | 27,001 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Gene Wu (Incumbent) | 2,957 | 64.73 | |
| Democratic | Edward Pollard | 1,611 | 35.27 | |
| Total votes | 4,568 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Gene Wu (Incumbent) | 7,155 | 57.86 | |
| Republican | Morad H. Fiki | 5,211 | 42.14 | |
| Total votes | 12,373 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Gene Wu | 15,832 | 65.76 | |
| Republican | M.J. Khan | 8,245 | 34.24 | |
| Total votes | 24,077 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Gene Wu | 696 | 61.54 | |
| Democratic | Jamaal Smith | 435 | 38.46 | |
| Total votes | 1,131 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Gene Wu | 773 | 43.14 | |
| Democratic | Jamaal Smith | 431 | 24.05 | |
| Democratic | Joseph Carlos Madden | 391 | 21.82 | |
| Democratic | Sarah Winkler | 197 | 10.99 | |
| Total votes | 1,792 | 100.0 | ||
Wu is married to Miya Shay, a television journalist forABC 13 inHouston, Texas.[26][27] The couple married in 2012 and have two sons.[28][29]
| Texas House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Minority Leader of theTexas House of Representatives 2025–present | Incumbent |
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| Court of Criminal Appeals | ||
