Ron Reynolds (politician)

Ronald Eugene Reynolds, born on September 18, 1973, is an American politician and a lawyer who no longer has a law license. He represents District 27 in the Texas House of Representatives. Reynolds was first elected in 2010 and made history as the first African American to represent Fort Bend County in the Texas House since the Reconstruction era.

In August 2022, Reynolds became the Chair of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus. In 2023, he helped create the first Texas Historically Black Colleges and Universities Legislative Caucus and now leads it as its Chair. Before his role in the Texas House, Reynolds worked as a lawyer, focusing on personal injury law, Social Security disability, and family law. He also taught at Texas Southern University and served in several leadership roles in legal and community organizations.

In November 2018, Reynolds was re-elected to the Texas House even while he was in jail. After U.S. President Joe Biden’s debate performance on June 27, 2024, which Reynolds described as a "train wreck," he was one of the first Democratic politicians to suggest Biden should be replaced at the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

Early life and education

Ron Reynolds moved from Tennessee to Missouri City, Texas when he was a child, living with his mother. He went to school in Fort Bend County. After finishing school, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in public affairs from Texas Southern University in 1996. He later went to law school at Texas Tech University School of Law and got his law degree, called a Juris Doctor, in 1999.

Political career

Ron Reynolds first ran for the Texas House of Representatives in 2008 but lost by a small number of votes. He tried again in 2010 and won, becoming a state representative for District 27 starting in January 2011. He was the first African American to represent Fort Bend County since the time after the Civil War.

Reynolds was re-elected many times over the years. In 2021, he joined a protest with other lawmakers to support voting rights. He also started important groups in the Texas Legislature, including the Texas House Progressive Caucus and the first HBCU Legislative Caucus. However, he has owed large fines to the Texas Ethics Commission for several years.

Political views

Ron Reynolds has strong opinions on many important issues. He supports people's rights to make their own choices about healthcare. He also believes that medical use of certain plants should be allowed and regulated properly.

Reynolds wants to improve the justice system. He has supported ideas like giving money to police departments for special cameras and changing rules about grand juries. He thinks it's important to have fair trials for everyone, no matter their background.

He also supports helping people who don't have health insurance and wants to raise the minimum wage so families can live better. Reynolds has suggested ways to recognize and make amends for past wrongs done to African Americans in history.

In 2023, Reynolds asked leaders to help people in need during a difficult situation between two countries and to think carefully about where aid money goes.

Awards and honors

Ron Reynolds has received many awards for his work. He was given the EEOC Civil Rights All Star Award and the American Red Cross Humanitarian Award. He also won the Houston Black Chamber of Commerce Pinnacle Award two times.

He was chosen for Houston's Top 40 Leaders Under 40 and named Houston’s Top Lawyer by HTexas Magazine. He was also honored as Public Servant of the Year by the Houston Minority Contractors Association and received several other important awards for his service.

Legal issues

Ron Reynolds has faced many legal and ethical problems during his career. In 2005, the State Bar of Texas punished him twice for doing his job improperly, which led to him not being allowed to practice law for a time.

In 2012, Reynolds went to authorities about certain accusations and was later released. The case was stopped in 2013 because of problems with the evidence.

Later in 2013, his office was searched because of claims about a large amount of money being exchanged secretly. He was found guilty of certain legal actions in 2015, paid a fine, and was sent to prison for one year. He chose to defend himself in court, saying he knew the most about his own case.

In 2016, he was ordered to pay money to former clients for not handling their cases properly. His law license was taken away, and he also faced many financial problems and owed a lot of money in fines and debts.

His conviction was supported in 2017, and he started his prison sentence in 2018 but was released early in 2019. He was officially not allowed to practice law anymore in July 2019.