Molly White (Texas politician)
| Molly White | |
|---|---|
| Texas State Representative from District 55 (Bell County) | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 13, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Ralph Sheffield |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Molly Suzanne Gosney February 26, 1958 |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Ronald Wayne White |
| Children | Tyrell Sayre White Robert N. White |
| Parents | Robert Russell and Thelma Jean Hefner Gosney |
| Residence | Belton, Texas |
| Alma mater | Belton High School |
| Occupation | Founder, Women for Life International |
| Religion | Cowboy Church |
Molly Suzanne White (née Gosney; born February 26, 1958) is a conservative political activist from Belton, Texas, who is an incoming 2015 Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives. Her District 55 seat, to which she was first elected in 2014, is located within Bell County in Central Texas.[1]
Background
White has lived in Belton since the early 1970s. She is the daughter of a retired military colonel, Robert Russell "Bob" Gosney, and his wife, the former Thelma Jean Hefner (both born 1932), who also reside in Belton. She graduated in 1976 from Belton High School and thereafter the Southern Baptist-affiliated University of Mary Hardin–Baylor in Belton. Her husband, Ronald Wayne White (born 1953), is a long-time road paving contractor. The couple has two sons, Tyrell and Robert White, both graduates of Texas A&M University in College Station, and a daughter, Natalie, a nursing student in 2014 at Temple College in Temple, Texas. The Whites attend the 3C Cowboy Church in Salado in southern Bell County.[2]
Political activism
Staunchly opposed to abortion, White founded the non-profit organization Women for Life International and is the legislative director for Operation Outcry.[2] As a young woman, White had two abortions. She was converted to the anti-abortion cause in 1992 while attending a Bible study and has since spoken out about how abortion had negatively impacted her life. She excoriates the national media for not reporting on post-abortion trauma as she personally experienced.[3]
White annually lobbies before the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in an attempt to push the organization into a conservative direction. Prior to her legislative service, she worked for passage of parental-consent laws impacting under-age women who procure an abortion and for the defunding of taxpayer money to the abortion provider Planned Parenthood. She has lobbied for mandatory medical ultrasonography screening before a woman can receive an abortion. She has also worked with Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum, Texas Right to Life, Concerned Women for America, and the Liberty Institute. White has staged training seminars on conservatism activism and pro-life advocacy in nine nations.[2]
A long-time Republican, White worked in the 2004 and 2008 campaigns to reelect U.S. President George W. Bush and for U.S. Senator John McCain's unsuccessful bid against the Democrat Barack Obama.[2]
In 2014, White herself ran for office and unseated the three-term incumbent state representative Ralph Sheffield, a restaurateur from Temple, in the primary election on March 4. Carrying the backing of the Tea Party movement,[4] she polled 4,995 votes (53.7 percent) to Sheffield's 4,302 (46.3 percent).[5] White was unopposed in the November 4 general election.
On January 29, 2015, Representative White stirred controversy by instructing her staff to ask Muslim constituents participating in "Texas Muslim Capitol Day" to "announce publicly allegiance to the United States."[6] White also put up an Israeli flag in her office. Governor Greg Abbott distanced himself from White's remarks and called for "civil discourse" regarding matters of this kind.[7]
References
- ↑ "Molly White". Texas Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Meet Molly White". texansformolly.com. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
- ↑ Enriquez, Lauren (November 11, 2014). "Texas' Molly White weighs in on media bias against post-abortive women". liveactionnews.org. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
- ↑ Ramsey, Ross (December 9, 2013). "Shared Name May Be Hurdle to Keeping Post". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
- ↑ "Race Summary Report: 2014 Republican Party Primary Election". Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
- ↑ Hamilton, Reeve (January 29, 2015). "Rep to Staff: Ask Muslim Visitors to Pledge Allegiance". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
- ↑ "Abbott urges civility after official's Muslim remarks", Laredo Morning Times, January 31, 2015, p. 2
| Texas House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ralph Sheffield |
Texas State Representative from District 55 (Bell County)
Molly Suzanne Gosney White |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
