I met my husband Mike while attending the University of North Texas at Arlington. We now have five children and 12 wonderful grandchildren.
After graduating from UNT, I became a teacher, a mom, and a businesswoman before a life of public service let me to the State Senate. I was honored to serve as the Senator for Senate District 12 for more than three decades.
With your support, we accomplished many things. We passed over $8 billion in tax relief. We made Texas a more hospitable place to do business. We established the Cancer Research & Prevention Institute of Texas, created peer mental health programs for our veterans and law enforcement, dedicated lottery proceeds to education, and passed over 30 bills to protect victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking.
I am heartened that we went out on a high note. I owe my family, staff, and colleagues in the Senate a debt of gratitude. To my constituents — I worked every day to earn the faith you placed in me as your State Senator.
My father, the late Robert Gray, was a World War II veteran who taught me to love my country. My mother, the late Edna Gray, was my hero; I served as her primary caretaker as she struggled with Alzheimer’s. She survived World War II and the Great Depression and still succeeded in the most important job of all — motherhood. I am proud to be their daughter.
As Emerson said, if we made one person breathe easier … we succeeded. We did. Rest assured that in this next chapter, I will keep fighting to build a better Texas.