Gen Z Votes: Texas Leadership Summit 

A first responder, spouse, and mom of 3, Kat Vargas saw a need to reach young voters; particularly millennial women missed by traditional outreach strategies.

Her @howdypolitics Instagram page provides real time bill tracking, easy to understand analysis, and action items at the local, state, and federal levels with a focus on the issues most important to Texans. In her first year, Kat has amassed a following of over 20k Texans, been invited to the White House, and successfully activated women across the state by being their “political bestie” they trust to get them the information they need at the polls and beyond.

Isabella Spartz is a senior at the University of Texas at Dallas, pursuing a double degree in Finance and Economics.

During college, she chaired the UTD Student Government Legislative Affairs Committee, founded and led the UT Dallas Students Demand Action Chapter, and now serves as co-president of the UT Dallas Democrats chapter. Isabella's main driver in all these activities is to connect students to more civic engagement opportunities and show them the importance of being civically involved. To reach this goal, Isabella founded her @TheYoungTexan Instagram account to educate young people on the many different avenues of being engaged and keep them up to date with current events.

Dr. Whitney Thomas is a native Texan and lifelong advocate for women in Texas politics. She currently serves as Senior Director of Development for the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at the University of North Texas.

Whitney is passionate about student leadership development, civic engagement, and educational attainment. Between 2013-2023 she helped build IGNITE from a small startup into the largest and most diverse young women’s political leadership training organization in the country. 

Since Carolyn was young, she’s had a passion for engaging in meaningful work and understanding the human condition. 

In her career, she has organized communities, spearheaded programs and communication strategies, run events and conferences, and advocated personally and politically for all issues close to her heart. Currently, Carolyn serves as the Director of Programs at NAMI North Texas (National Alliance on Mental Illness). Her goals in life and work are to make our community a better, more accommodating, and inclusive place where all are welcome and have appropriate access to the resources they need to live life to the fullest.

Tsion Amare is a Gen Z advocate and environmentalist working to improve our state and communities.

As a previous Texas House staffer, Tsion gained first-hand experience working on issues from criminal justice to housing and public education. In 2023, she ran to represent House District 113 as the youngest and first Ethiopian-American member. Tsion currently serves on various boards including the Dallas County Young Democrats and Somos Tejas. She holds a B.S. degree in Social Work from Abilene Christian University and an M.S. in political Social Work from the University of Houston.

Averie is the daughter of a fifth-generation Texan father and a Filipino immigrant mother.

She became the first in her family to graduate college and SMU law school (J.D.)  so she could advocate for safer schools, affordable healthcare, and all generations of Texans. Now, Averie is running for Texas House District 112 to protect Texas youth in public schools, ensure economic and job prosperity for all, fight for affordable and accessible healthcare, safeguard land in the face of climate change, and advocate for a safe and more efficient immigration process.

Cassandra is an experienced trial lawyer, community volunteer, and committed Democrat who won her primary to become the nominee for State Representative of House District 115 in this 2024 election cycle.

She is committed to finding ways for more people to have access to their American dream through economic opportunity, affordable housing, and protecting Texans from rising costs. She understands that Texas today needs leaders with a servant heart, new ideas, and fresh perspectives to tackle tough problems.

Sophia Anwar is a native Texan and currently serves as Chief of Staff to a Texas State Representative. In her role, she builds relationships and works on creating policy that can benefit all Texans.

Prior to joining the Texas Legislature, she worked at various mission-driven organizations, including nonprofits, government organizations, and law firms, in roles responsible for relationship management and political engagement. Sophia is currently a candidate for the Denton Central Appraisal District Board of Directors, Place 2. She is happy to call Lewisville her home and to have brought her husband and 4-year-old daughter, Nora to Texas as well.

Michelle Gamboa was born in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico and later immigrated to the United States
with her family when she was just 7 years old.

She made history as the first Hispanic and youngest individual to serve on the Longview City Council, representing her district with utmost dedication and passion. Michelle's tenure as a council member also marked the first time a woman had represented her district since the 1960s.