Power Players features state lawmakers rising through the ranks or making a notable mark on the 87th Texas legislative session. Each week, Capital Tonight will feature an elected official to give you a chance to get to know the person behind the powerful position.
AUSTIN, Texas - State Rep. Harold Dutton, D-Houston, has served in the Texas House since his first session back in 1985. He represents District 142, which covers parts of Houston in Harris County - including the place where he grew up, Houston's Fifth Ward. Back then, he had no idea he’d wind up being a lawmaker for more than three decades.
"My first session, I was so disillusioned with what happens here that I fired my whole staff, because I said I wasn't coming back," Rep. Ward said.
But he did come back and 19 sessions later, he keeps coming back. He says that’s partly because the people of northeast Houston are family to him.
Over the years, Dutton’s learned that you can’t please everyone and that sometimes includes his own party. This session, he's the chair of the Public Education Committee. He garnered backlash among fellow Democrats by advancing two Republican-backed education-related bills that Democrats strongly oppose, including one on transgender youth.
But Dutton will tell you he’s gone against the grain in the past.
"In high school I got kicked off the basketball team because the coach had told us to run around the track and I just didn't think I needed to run around the track. I said if I wanted to join the track team, I would have joined the track team. And he said, 'Well, Dutton, don't worry about it because you're not on this team anymore.' So, I sat down where they were playing tennis and I got up and borrowed one of the rackets and started hitting one of the balls."
Dutton has played tennis ever since. It's one of the things he enjoys outside of politics. He also likes spending time with his eight children and six grandchildren. He doesn’t keep up with pop culture or movies, but there is one television show his kids have told him he should be on.
"My kids used to always say, "Dad, you oughta go on 'Jeopardy!' because you know the answers to all these questions except when it comes to shows and TV and movies," said Rep. Dutton.
So why has northeast Houston voted for Dutton for all these years?
"Well, they know that I love them,” said Rep. Dutton.
