Sarah Davis

Sarah Davis (born May 18, 1976) is an American politician who served as a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives; she was first elected in the Tea Party wave of 2010.

In the 82nd legislature, Davis received an "F" from Equality Texas for supporting Republican Wayne Christian's attempts to end LGBT resource centers on college campuses during a legislative session marked by major reductions in funding across the board due to the depressed state economy.

In the 83rd legislature, Davis received a "C" from Equality Texas.

When asked about performing same-sex wedding ceremonies, Davis said "I believe marriage is a religious sacrament, and the government should not force congregations to perform the ceremonies, However I do not oppose two consenting adults entering into civil unions."

Equality Texas gave Davis an “A+” on her scorecard for the 86th session, stating that she “was the only Republican in the legislature to co-author pro-equality bills — five in all.

She also stood in solidarity with the House LGBTQ Caucus on the House floor and at public events.”

In 2010, the NRA and Texas State Rifle Association both gave her an "A" on her position on gun rights.

The 2011 state budget, voted for by Davis, cut $5.4 billion from public schools.

The budget resulted in the elimination of 10,000 teaching positions and widespread cuts to pre-kindergarten programs.

In 2011, Davis voted against a bill to require physicians to conduct intra-vaginal sonograms, prior to even pharmaceutically induced abortions, citing her opposition to legislative interference in the doctor-patient relationship.

Davis likened this legislation to the government takeover of the doctor-patient relationship by ObamaCare, and as a Republican who believes in limited government, personal freedom and individual responsibility, Davis said the government should not practice medicine.

Davis voted for a bill that prohibits the state from funding facilities that perform abortions.

In 2012, Davis claimed her vote on the budget did not reduce funding for public education.

PolitiFact rated Davis' claim "Pants on Fire."

Her district, the 134th, is located in Houston and includes The Galleria, Rice University, and the Texas Medical Center.

In 2013, Davis voted in favor of HB1076, prohibiting the enforcement of federal firearm regulations concerning firearm capacity, registration, or background checks.

The bill did not become law.

Davis has received the endorsement of the NRA Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) and the Texas State Rifle Association.

Davis authored a bill to reduce license fees for concealed carry licenses issued to retired military and law enforcement personnel.

In 2013, she voted against a bill that increases abortion facility requirements, regulates the administration of abortion inducing drugs, and prohibits abortions after 20 weeks of gestation.

Davis stated at the time that the bill constituted a de facto ban on abortions and would not withstand constitutional scrutiny.

During the 2013 debate on the abortion restriction bill, Davis offered an amendment to the abortion bill which retained the 20-week ban, but which deleted the unconstitutional facility restrictions, and instead incorporated exceptions for cases of rape, incest, danger to the mother's life and severe fetal abnormalities.

The facility restrictions in the bill were found to be unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt.

In 2014, Equality Texas endorsed Davis while Davis was being challenged by another Republican, Bonnie Parker.

She received an "A" grade and endorsement from the NRA-PVF in 2014, but this fell to a "C" grade in 2020.

Davis voted in favor of reducing the penalty for carrying a gun in a prohibited location, including a high school, college sporting event, a church, or a hospital.

The penalty was reduced from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class C misdemeanor.

In 2015, Davis voted in favor of HB972, allowing guns on college campuses. This law also allowed guns to be brought into the buildings and dorms of universities in Texas.

In 2015, Davis opposed limiting pre-kindergarten class sizes to 18 and opposed ensuring that teachers met certain qualifications.

In that same session, Davis voted to table Amendment 4 on HB1 - meaning that the public education budget would be cut by $800,000,000.

Davis authored and passed a bill which strengthened the ability of prosecutors to pursue child pornography cases.

Davis is the only pro-choice Republican in the Texas legislature and has earned the endorsement of Planned Parenthood in previous races.

In her fourth-term election 2016, Davis polled 48,192 votes (53.6 percent) to defeat Democrat Ben Rose, who drew 38,958 (43.3 percent).

Libertarian Gilberto "Gil" Velasquez Jr. received the remaining 2,831 votes (3.2 percent).

Davis won election to her fifth term in the House in the general election held on November 6, 2018, when she defeated Democrat Allison Lami Sawyer, 47,164 votes (53.2 percent) to 41,486 (46.8 percent).

In 2018, she ran 1,028 votes behind her showing two years earlier.

Davis has served on multiple committees and is a former chairman of the House Ethics Committee.

In the 2018 election cycle, the Human Rights Campaign endorsed her.

She was the only Republican to receive their endorsement.

Prior to her loss to Ann Johnson in 2020, Davis was the only pro-choice Republican in the Texas House.