Meet Maggie Ellis

What is your background and campaign platform?

I survived a childhood marked by poverty, transience, homelessness, and educational deprivation to become the only one of my eight siblings to graduate from college. I was a teacher, a foster mother, a community volunteer, and put myself through law school, driving back and forth from Austin to Waco every day as a mother with four teenagers, to become an advocate for individuals and families who were like me and my siblings.

What are some ways you have helped determine your own personal biases in the past?

First of all being aware that I have biases, whether in favor of my favorite football teams or against people who throw cigarette butts out of their vehicle. Having an awareness that everyone has biases is the critical first step, “if you have a brain, you have biases.” I have taken classes and trainings on identifying different types of biases, and I take time to be introspective about my own biases. I also try to be aware and not let my biases negatively affect my relationships or interactions with other people.

What inspired you to pursue a path of studying law?

Because of my own childhood of abuse and neglect and the concerns I had for some children in my classroom, I decided to go to law school to make a difference in the lives of individuals, children, and families. I have represented people who were at risk of losing their liberty, their homes, or their children, and I have been the voice for victims in cases involving murder and sexual assault, among others.

What legacy would you like to leave from serving on this court?

I hope that my legacy will be one of kindness and compassion and that all litigants will feel seen and heard. I will bring my understanding of the needs of people with disabilities, my cultural competence, and my lived understanding of what many people whose case comes before the court have experienced. I will also be the first openly gay women to ever serve on an appellate court in Texas.

What Democratic values have you or will you apply to your work once elected?

Being a Democrat means supporting access to justice and the courts for everyone. With about 15% of Texans living below the federal poverty line and 25% representing themselves in family cases, and the physical and legal obstacles many people with disabilities face, access to justice is critical. I have been awarded for my work helping our most vulnerable populations have access to the court system, and I would continue to do so if elected.

If elected, would you support the Hays County Democratic Party by your presence at events and, if possible, financially? If not, please explain why.

Definitely. Whether it's donating time and money, attending and sponsoring the LBJ Fundraiser, marching in the parades, attending the various club meetings, including SMAD, KBAD, WimDems, HYD, I will be a good steward of earning the support of the Hays Democratic Party community

Will you and your campaign participate in the Hays County Democratic Party Coordinated Campaign effort in 2024?

Absolutely!