Martha Wong: A Texas Trailblazer

From humble beginnings, Martha worked to overcome the poverty and discrimination of her youth. She has grown to become a mother, grandmother, successful businesswoman, career educator, college professor, elected official, Bush gubernatorial appointee, trailblazer for Houston women and a recognized leader in the Texas Asian community. Did we also mention she’s just getting started?

Education First

The story of Martha’s youth is a compelling one. Martha was born in Houston and moved to Mississippi as a young child. Her parents moved the family back to Texas, so their children could get an education in Texas public schools. Their dream of a better life for Martha and her siblings, and her family’s strong commitment to education left an impression on Martha Wong. She worked hard through school and eventually earned a BS from the University of Texas, as well as teaching certifications in elementary education, special education, supervision, and administration. Martha earned her doctorate in education while putting three children through college after her husband died of a heart attack. She spent twenty years in Texas’ public school classrooms as a teacher and administrator. Martha Wong has a lifetime of hands-on experience to bring to the debate on how to best educate Texas’ sons and daughters.

Family and Hard Work

Martha is the mother of three grown children and is now a proud grandmother. She is also a small business owner. As the daughter of immigrant parents, Martha has lived the American dream first hand. Growing up as a child in segregation era Houston, she lived in the back of her father’s small Heights-area grocery store, in a day when her family couldn’t even rent a home because they were of Asian descent. She worked for her father's grocery store from junior high through college summers without ever being paid. It was just her role and duty as a member of the family to help make ends meet. Martha's family never asked for handouts; they believed in hard work to get ahead.

Public Service

As the first Asian-American Council Member at Houston City Hall, Martha fought for lower taxes, less government and safer neighborhoods. She led the fight to place new restrictions on sexually oriented businesses and kept strip clubs out of Houston neighborhoods. As the chairperson of the city’s first committee on privatization, Martha saved Houston taxpayers over 24 million dollars through streamlining city services and out-sourcing bloated government functions to private companies. Both at city hall and in her district, Martha has been known as a constituent-oriented Council Member who believes in customer service and taking a stand for Houston neighborhoods.

Martha Wong is no stranger to state government either. Governor George W. Bush asked Martha to serve on the governing board of the Texas Economic Development Agency. She has been a part of "cleaning up" the department.

Blazing New Trails

When elected to the State Legislature, Martha will be the only Asian-American serving as an elected official in Texas state government, the first female Texan of Asian descent to serve, and only the second Texan with Asian heritage to ever serve our state in its proud history. The best part of all: Martha Wong is a lifelong Republican.

Once elected, Martha will continue her fight for less government, lower property taxes, better flood control and stronger schools for Texas children.

The important lessons of her youth remain close to Martha’s heart and are evident in the way she leads today. Martha is tough, strong, fair, and a hard worker. She will be a strong advocate in the State Legislature.

She’s the kind of person we want fighting on our team.