Our Story

In June 1990, as Democrats from across Texas gathered in Houston for the Texas Democratic State Convention, ten AANHPI leaders met around a dining table with an idea: to build a political home within the Democratic Party for their community.

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On June 3, 1990, the Honorable Robert Bob Gee, former Houston Mayor Pro Tem Gordon Quan, the Hon. Judy Lee, Mark Lee, Judge Hannah Chow (the first AANHPI elected to the judicial bench in Texas), Virginia Lew Toy, Raymond Lew, Paul Gee, and Mao-Sen Yieh came together to discuss forming a countywide AANHPI Democratic organization in Harris County. With the support of then-Harris County Democratic Party Chair Ken Bentsen, they agreed that such an organization was both necessary and timely.

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Their purpose was threefold: to increase AANHPI presence within the Democratic Party, to strengthen Democratic engagement within the AANHPI community, and to serve as a voice for AANHPI Democrats in Texas.​

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Originally formed as the Harris County Asian American Democrats, the organization soon renamed itself the Asian American Democrats of Texas (AADT), signaling a vision beyond one county. Judy Lee was elected as the caucus's first president.

 

In its early years, AADT supported Democratic candidates Ann Richards for Governor and Dan Morales for Attorney General, hosting its first fundraiser in Houston. Both were elected, and the organization established an early presence within Texas Democratic politics.

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The Texas Democratic Party (TDP) later formally recognized AADT as its AANHPI caucus, designiating it as the official representative body within the state party structure. Members of the founding generation went on to serve in public roles. Judy Lee was appointed by Governor Richards to the State Board of Accountancy. Robert Gee served as Chairman of the Public Utility Commission before joining the Clinton Administration. In 1999, Gordon Quan was elected to the Houston City Council and later served as Mayor Pro Tem.

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In the years that followed, leaders including Judge Toni Ingversen and Rogene Gee Calvert expanded the caucus's reach. In 2002, Houston businessman Bien Tran was elected president and served two terms through 2006.

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A milestone came at the 2006 Texas Democratic State Convention in Fort Worth, when AANHPIs were elected to the State Democratic Executive Committee (SDEC) for the first time*. Farrukh Shamsi (Senate District 7) and Arif Gafur (SD 17) were elected, and through the advocacy of Mini Timmaraju, then AADT President, and AJ Durrani, then Vice President, party rules were amended to include two perpetual add-on members from the AANHPI caucus, formalizing representation within party leadership.

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In 2012, SDEC member Farrukh Shamsi was elected Vice Chair for Finance of the TDP, one of the highest leadership positions within the state party.

 

The organization's reach extended nationally in 2016. At the Texas Democratic State Convention in San Antonio, AJ Durrani became the first AANHPI from Texas to serve as a Democratic National Committee (DNC) member representing the caucus**. Kathleen Hoang was elected DNC youth representative that same year. In 2025, Texas DNC member Becca Moyer DeFelice was elected Vice Chair of Communications for the national DNC AANHPI Caucus.

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Since 1990, more than 50 AANHPIs from Texas have served as delegates to Democratic National Conventions. From a small meeting during a Houston convention weekend to a recognized statewide caucus with representation at every level of the party, AADT's history reflects the continued growth of AANHPI engagement within Texas Democratic politics.

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*The SDEC carries out the work of the party across Texas, composed of leaders from the state's 38 congressional districts elected at each convention, along with caucus representatives and party officers.

**DNC members from Texas serve as representatives to the Democratic National Committee (DNC).