Trey Martinez Fischer

Trey Martinez Fischer (born June 6, 1970) is a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives who represents the San Antonio-based 116th District, serving since 2019. He previously held this seat from 2000 through 2017. In January 2017, he was succeeded in the position by Diana Arévalo, the secretary for the Bexar County Democratic Party. In 2018, he unseated Arévalo in the Democratic primary for his former state House seat.[1] He won the subsequent general election on November 6 over the Republican Fernando Padron, 32,375 votes (70.4 percent) to 13,612 (29.6 percent). Martinez Fischer hence returned to the House in January 2019.[2]

Trey Martinez Fischer
Fischer in 2019
Member of the Texas House of Representatives
from the 116th district
Assumed office
January 8, 2019
Preceded byDiana Arévalo
In office
January 9, 2001 – January 10, 2017
Preceded byLeo Alvarado, Jr.
Succeeded byDiana Arévalo
Personal details
Born (1970-06-05) June 5, 1970
San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Elizabeth Marie Provencio Fischer
ChildrenFrancesca and Camilla Fischer
ResidenceSan Antonio, Texas
Alma materUniversity of Texas at San Antonio

Baruch College

University of Texas School of Law
OccupationAttorney
Nickname(s)TMF

Martinez Fischer was born and reared in San Antonio. He graduated from Oliver Wendell Holmes High School, at which he is a member of the school Hall of Fame. He received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and in 1994 was selected to study as a National Urban Fellow . He is a graduate of Baruch College of Public Affairs in New York City, and the University of Texas School of Law.

He was named one of the "10 Best Legislators" by Texas Monthly magazine in both 2013 and 2015,[3] who described him as a "soldier prepared to do battle but ready to make peace". The Houston Chronicle and the San Francisco Chronicle named him one of the "20 Latino political rising stars of 2012",[4] placing him among those under 55, "who just might change the face of American politics over the next two decades". Campaigns and Elections Magazine named him a "Texas Influencer" and one of the Top-50 Democrats in the state.

Martinez Fischer is the chairman of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, the oldest and largest Latino legislative caucus in the United States. During his chairmanship, the caucus has emerged as one of the leading Latino public policy organizations and the "group to watch" in the Texas Legislature according to The Economist magazine.[5] In 2012, Martinez Fischer led the Mexican American Legislative Caucus to victory in two court battles concerning redistricting and voter/photo identification in Texas.

Legislative career

Martinez Fischer was first elected to the District 118 seat in the Texas House of Representatives in 2000. He has worked with the San Antonio business community throughout his legislative career. In 2009, he authored HB 1922, which doubled the capacity of San Antonio to provide recycled water to businesses to meet the demands of expanding industries while also conserving water for the region. He authored an amendment requiring the state Employee Retirement System to hire emerging fund managers, many from minority and women-owned businesses. In 2011, he was the lead Democratic author on HB 3727, the Boeing Bill, which created hundreds of manufacturing jobs in San Antonio to build, test, and repair the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. As a result of this bill, Air Force One will be refitted and repaired in San Antonio.[6]

He was selected by then House Speaker Joe Straus to sit on the Select Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations,[7] and the Select Committee on Redistricting during the first called special session of the 83rd Legislature.

Martinez Fischer was named the "Bull of the Brazos", an award given by Texas Monthly, which recognizes him as among the best legislators. Texas Monthly wrote: "without TMF the Democrats would have had no champion at all". He has also been recognized as the "2013 Friend of Education"[8] and a "Legislative Star" by the Texas Classroom Teachers Association for fighting what it considered to be harmful legislation.

Martinez Fischer played a role in restoring education funding to Texas schools and was a major player in the state budget negotiations that resulted in $3.9 billion in increased education funding.[9] He is an advocate for government transparency and accountability as a member of the Select Committee on Transparency in State Operations and fought to preserve the voting rights of all Texans on the Select Redistricting Committee.

On February 17, 2015, Martinez Fischer was defeated in a special election by fellow Democratic House colleague Jose Menendez for the District 26 seat in the Texas Senate, a position vacated by Leticia Van de Putte, who ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in 2014 and for mayor of San Antonio in 2015. The regular election was hotly contested, with Martinez Fischer earning a double-digit lead over his opponent. In a special runoff election marked by low turnout among Democratic voters and unprecedented participation by San Antonio Republicans, Menendez edged out Martinez Fischer.

Martinez Fischer challenged and lost again to Menendez for a full Senate term in the Democratic primary on March 1, 2016. Diana Arevalo won the Democratic primary for the seat Martinez Fischer held through 2017, and as she was unopposed in the general election, succeeded Martinez Fischer in January 2017.

Martinez Fischer returned to the Texas House of Representatives in 2019, having won both the primary and general elections in 2018.

  • HB 670 - Relating to a qualified privilege of a journalist not to testify.
  • HB 758 - Relating to the creation of an offense for certain prohibited uses of a wireless communication device while operating a motor vehicle.
  • HB 1922 - Relating to the authorization of certain reuse water system contributions and discharges
  • HB 3727 - Relating to the appraisal for ad valorem tax purposes of certain commercial aircraft that are temporarily located in this state for manufacturing or assembly purposes.
  • HB 21 - Relating to a central database containing information about offenders who have committed certain offenses against children or offenses involving family or dating violence.[10]

Personal life

Martinez Fischer has practiced before state and federal courts throughout Texas since his admission to the bar. He and his wife, the former Elizabeth Provencio, an attorney and trustee of the San Antonio Water System, are the parents of two daughters, Francesca and Camilla.

References
  1. Walters, Edgar (March 6, 2018). "Texas Rep. Dawnna Dukes and three other Democrats lose their state House seats". Texas Tribune. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  2. "Election Returns". Texas Secretary of State. November 6, 2018. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  3. Texas Monthly Magazine
  4. Chronicle
  5. The new face of America, retrieved July 21, 2009
  6. Boeing will move up to 400 jobs to Alamo City, retrieved January 5, 2012
  7. "Representative Trey Martinez Fischer", Texas House of Representatives, retrieved February 13, 2013
  8. TCTA Friend of Education Award, retrieved February 13, 2013
  9. star-telegram.com May 20, 2013
  10. Texas Legislature - Bills Authored, retrieved January 13, 2014
Texas House of Representatives
Preceded by
Leo Alvarado, Jr.		 Texas State Representative
for District 116 (Bexar County)
2001–2017		 Succeeded by
Diana Arévalo
Preceded by
Diana Arévalo		 Texas State Representative
for District 116 (Bexar County)
2019–present		 Succeeded by
Incumbent
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