Press Releases

(Houston) – Ellen Cohen filed the official paper work with the Mayor’s office this morning for Houston City Council District C. Today marks the first day that candidates can file their application for a place on the November 8^th ballot.  Cohen, accompanied by her treasurer Jackie Martin, was the first candidate to file at City Hall this morning.

“I feel confident about my race and our numbers look good,” said Cohen.  A recent poll shows Cohen with a solid 35 point lead and she was the leader across the board in every region of the district.  In the portion of the district that covers Cohen’s former legislative seat, she earns an impressive 59% of the vote.  “I am thrilled by the outpouring of support enforcing my strong commitment to serving the citizens of Houston and District C.  These numbers reflect the excitement and enthusiasm for my race.” 

Cohen is well on her way to winning a majority in November and taking her place on Houston City Council.  

Cohen previously served in the Texas Legislature as the State Representative for House District 134.  She was the President and CEO of the Houston Area Women’s Center (HAWC) for 18 years.  Prior to her role at HAWC, she was the Executive Director of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) for 10 years.

(Houston) – Ellen Cohen announced that she is running for Houston City Council, District C. She will officially launch her campaign on Wednesday, March 23 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Sonoma’s located at 2720 Richmond.

“For 33 years Houston has been home and my recent experience as a State Legislator ignited in me a deep commitment and passion for public service,” said Cohen. “In keeping with that spirit, I am excited to announce my candidacy for Houston City Council, District C. It would be and honor and a privilege to serve on Houston City Council.”

Cohen previously served in the Texas Legislator as the State Representative for House District 134. She was the President & CEO of the Houston Area Women’s Center (HAWC) for 18 years. Prior to her role at HAWC, she was the Executive Director of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) for 10 years.

“The City of Houston faces many challenges such as the budget shortfall and aging infrastructure,” said Cohen. “We can address these issues and others with reasoned solutions that will contribute to the strength of our great city. Now is the time for us to work together for the city that we all believe in.”

District C includes much of the constituency Cohen served in her previous role as State Representative. District C, like other council districts, will undergo redistricting as mandated by the City of Houston Charter. For more information about the City of Houston redistricting process, visit www.houstontx.gov/planning/2011/.

(Houston) — State Representative Ellen Cohen has been chosen as the 2010 Legislator of the Year by the Texas RehabACTion Network (TRAN).  Cohen, a member of the Appropriations Committee, was recognized for her work in carrying the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) budget during the 81^st Legislative Session.  Cohen was instrumental in helping her colleagues understand the Public Vocational Rehabilitation Program, and fought to achieve DARS’ funding needs.  The Vocational Rehabilitation Program helps individuals with physical or mental disabilities prepare for, find or keep employment.

Cohen received the award at the TRAN Annual Conference, held in San Marcos, Texas on December 7.  TRAN, with more than 700 active members, is a non-profit professional organization dedicated to advocating for and promoting the Public Vocational Rehabilitation Program.  The organization educates communities about the return on investments gained from public vocational rehabilitation and promotes the program’s ability to provide employment services and disability related solutions to the business community.  Cheryl Guide, who serves on TRAN’s Advocacy and Legislative Committee, noted, “Rep. Cohen is the perfect example of the type of legislator who truly understands the dual customer approach – that public vocational rehabilitation not only changes the lives of people with disabilities by making it possible for them to be employed, but doing that very thing strengthens private businesses by providing them with excellent employees.”

Speaking to the audience, Cohen stated, “It is always great to be recognized for your work, but to receive an honor from an organization with such an amazing mission is truly rewarding. Many people take the opportunity to become a productive member of society for granted.  Yet individuals with disabilities so often encounter countless barriers when trying to achieve that dream.  Eliminating those obstacles is just one of the many reasons it is important to make sure that funding for vocational rehabilitation will continue to be a priority in Texas.”

State Representative Ellen Cohen is honored to receive the endorsement of the Houston Chronicle. The daily newspaper, the nation’s seventh largest, and its online website have an estimated seven-day readership of more than 2.3 million adults. In acknowledging the editorial board’s endorsement, Cohen said, “The Houston Chronicle endorsement is critically important for any race in Houston. Houstonians rely on the judgment and political acumen of the Chronicle Editorial Board. I am honored that the Chronicle, by virtue of this endorsement, recognizes my work on behalf of District 134 and the State of Texas.”

The Houston Chronicle Editorial Board said in their endorsement that “Ellen Cohen, the two-term Democratic incumbent, is our choice to represent this highly educated, politically active district that includes the Rice University area and the small cities of West University Place, Southside Place and Bellaire. The former head of the Houston Area Women’s Center has a long record of community involvement and a welcome background dealing with budgets. She is well attuned to the interests of her district, which, she says, include access to higher education and concerns about the environment. We like her big picture for the future of Texas: healthy, well educated and globally competitive. She is coming into her own in Austin, and her district and the region stand to benefit.” Visit the Houston Chronicle’s website for the text of the endorsement.

(Houston) – State Representative Ellen Cohen is proud to announce that she has received the
endorsement of the Jewish Herald-Voice. The Jewish Herald-Voice is the longest running Jewish
newspaper in the Southwest and one of the oldest in the United States.

“I am once again honored to receive the endorsement of the Jewish Herald-Voice,” said Cohen.
“The newspaper has supported me since my first campaign because of my commitment to the
community and my work in the Texas House. We are lucky to have this nationally recognized
publication right here in Houston.”

The Jewish Herald-Voice is the Jewish community newspaper serving the Houston and Texas
Gulf Coast area since 1908. Visit www.jhvonline.com for more information about the Jewish
Herald-Voice.

State Representative Ellen Cohen represents District 134, which includes Bellaire, West
University, River Oaks, Rice University and the Texas Medical Center, along with parts
of Meyerland and Montrose. She was selected by Speaker Joe Straus to serve on the
Appropriations, Higher Education, and Federal Legislation (Select) Committees. For
more information about Rep. Cohen and District 134, please visit www.ellencohen.org or
www.womenforellen.org.

On Saturday, October 16, women gathered at Sherlock’s Baker Street Pub and Grill for the first ever Women for Ellen Rally. The rally was held to encourage women, an important voting demographic, to get out and vote not only for State Representative Ellen Cohen, but also to vote for all candidates who will advance women’s issues. The theme was “Enlist, Educate, Energize and Engage.”

Special guests included Mayor Annise Parker and Commissioner Sylvia Garcia, among many. “Ellen is all about making positive change for the state of Texas, for her constituents in Houston, and for the future generations of Texans,” said Parker. “It is about joining together as women for a woman who has always stood up for us.” “It’s people like Ellen who are truly committed and passionate about public service that makes our government work,” added Garcia. “She’s been there for us and we now need to each be there for her.”

The Women for Ellen initiative was officially launched in April by the Women for Ellen Leadership Council. Council Chair Sherry Merfish and Event Chair Bobbie Nau knew that women provided Ellen with the decisive margin of victory in 2006 and 2008, and wanted to ensure that women across the political spectrum would cast their ballots for her once again. To learn more about Women for Ellen, visit www.womenforellen.org.

“The rally was a great success,” said Cohen. “When women vote, women win, and I am proud to have taken part in an event that celebrates and encourages women to vote for candidates who support their issues.” She added, “We were able to inform women about how much each vote means for District 134, and how they could make a difference by getting others to vote.”

State Representative Ellen Cohen is once again privileged to receive the endorsement of Texas Parent PAC for her re-election as State Representative, House District 134. “It is an honor to receive the endorsement of Texas Parent PAC, who has supported me since my first race for State Representative,” Cohen stated. “Public education must be a priority for our state with no exceptions. I strongly believe that we need to invest in public education because the future of our state heavily depends on a highly educated workforce to compete in the global marketplace and lead us into the next century.”

Texas Parent PAC is a leading organization in Texas focused on electing bipartisan leaders who will stand up for public education. Texas Parent PAC was created by parents in 2005 with the goal of electing more state leaders who will consistently stand up for public education.

“Ellen Cohen works in a bipartisan way to get results for her constituents and all Texans,” said Carolyn Boyle, Texas Parent PAC chair. “She was appointed by Speaker Joe Straus to two important committees—Appropriations and Higher Education—and the Texas House needs her proven leadership in the 2011 legislative session.”

Cohen has been a dedicated advocate of public education in her first two terms in the Texas Legislature. She joint authored a bill to address the Top Ten Percent rule at the University of Texas at Austin and supported legislation which laid the foundation for increasing the number of Tier One universities in the state, and coauthored a bill to establish full day pre-kindergarten in public schools, among other efforts.

For more information on Texas Parent PAC, visit www.texasparentpac.com.

On Wednesday, September 29, Rep. Ellen Cohen welcomed constituents of District 134 to a Town Hall Meeting to discuss the State Board of Education (SBOE). The panelists included Rep. Scott Hochberg, Vice Chair of the House Committee on Public Education; Honorable Lawrence Allen, Vice Chair of the State Board of Education; Martha Griffin, Science Content Specialist of Pasadena ISD; Angela Miller, Manager of Secondary Social Studies Curriculum – Houston ISD; and Kathy Miller, President of the Texas Freedom Network (TFN). The event, held at Houston Community College West Loop South, focused on the recent controversy surrounding the SBOE, including a discussion about the debate over social studies curriculum standards.

“Many of the attendees at the Town Hall noted that they did not realize the scope of the SBOE,” said Cohen. “The feedback was that the Town Hall was informative as well as enlightening. My goal in hosting Town Halls is to give constituents access to experts and information related to State government.”

The panelists touched on a variety of in-depth topics. Rep. Hochberg discussed the influence the legislature has over the State Board of Education, while Vice Chair Allen provided insight about the SBOE’s decision making process. Allen stated, “Board members should not amend curriculum content after experts and scholars say it is okay. Instead of a discussion about education, it becomes a political battle field.”

Kathy Miller explained that flawed social studies standards are merely a symptom of the problem. She stated, “The real problem is that we have a system that allows politicians to write curriculum, and not the teachers and scholars.”

The audience was surprised to learn from Martha Griffin that of the almost 5 million students in Texas public schools, 58.9% are economically disadvantaged. Finally, Angela Miller discussed curriculum objectives that undermine the education for our students in Texas. She gave specific examples of how the new social studies curriculum contradicts historical accuracy.

State Representative Ellen Cohen released today the results of a poll conducted in Texas House District 134 during September 10 – 15. The poll shows Cohen leading by a 57% to 30% margin and holding a substantial lead among every demographic group. The results show that Cohen is remarkably well known in the District and her positive image and job ratings are virtually unchanged from those recorded in March. The official poll memo can be located at www.ellencohen.org. Continue Reading »