AUSTIN, Texas — When Fanny Jetton was sworn in as an active temporary state representative for the Houston area in late June, history was made as she pushed the number of women in the Texas House to over 30% for the first time.
“I don’t feel like I am the person to make history of anything,” said Rep. Jetton, R-Richmond. “I am a normal person that works, has kids, family, all that stuff. So this has been something that’s been truly a lifetime-in-the-making kind of thing.”
Jetton took over her husband Jacey’s post because he’s currently on active duty with the U.S. Army National Guard. He’s expected to be back by early fall. The Constitution says if a member of the Texas Legislature is absent because of active military status, he or she can nominate another individual to serve.
“I do align with a lot of his conservative values,” she said. “I mean, he is my husband. We’ve gone through so many things together, and we work as a team.”
The Jettons have been married for 17 years. Together they’re raising two boys. While her husband’s away, Jetton says they’re writing letters to each other just like they did when they first started dating.
“I looked back at the letters that I was writing to him when he was first enlisted in 2004,” she said. “And I opened up the letter, and it was like 19 years ago today that I was writing to him, and he was writing to me, because that’s how we communicated.”
Jetton works remotely for an accounting finance firm. She’s still doing her job while acting as a temporary state representative.
Jetton said it was nerve-wracking to be sworn in on June 28.
“Right now, it doesn’t feel real,” she said. “Maybe when he comes back, and I’m the normal person, then it’ll all hit me at once. Right now, it seems surreal, but it’s definitely a memory that I will never forget.”
She says this position is the pinnacle of the American dream for her. Through tears, she described how her father fled China for the United States. After he made it, he went back to China to get his family. She says this wouldn’t have been possible without her dad.
“It’s humbling to know that they’ve gone through all of that,” she said. “To me, it’s very emotional to know that they were able to do all that so that they can be here, have that American dream, have that freedom, and be able to give us the opportunity as well.”
She’s already used this opportunity to vote in favor of the property tax relief plan that the House and Senate agreed to after a months-long impasse.
And her husband is providing support from afar.
“He’s been praying a lot. In this new role, he’s definitely helped with just giving the confidence,” Jetton said. “We’ve done a lot of things together. We’ve run our own business together. We do as much as a family, because family values are very high for us. Having the American dream, being able to see things out as a team. It all works out. And I don’t know, it’s just who we are.”