Our Story

AANHPIs have played a pivotal role in shaping Democratic Party politics for decades. In 1990, at the Texas Democratic State Convention in Houston, AADT was founded. It all began humbly with just 10 members gathered around a dining table. The founding members included the Honorable Robert W. Gee, former Houston Mayor Pro Tem Gordon Quan, the Hon. Judy Lee, and Mark Lee. Originally called the Harris County Asian American Democrats, the group soon renamed itself the Asian American Democrats of Texas, planting a vision for a statewide presence that would grow over the years. Judy Lee was elected to serve as caucus's first president.

 

Early on, AADT threw its support behind Democratic candidates Ann Richards for Governor and Dan Morales for Attorney General, hosting its first fundraiser in Houston. They both went on to victorious campaigns, signaling the rising influence of the AANHPI community in Texas politics.

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The TDP officially recognized AADT as its AANHPI caucus, making it the sole representative of AANHPI communities in the state. Judy Lee herself became one of the first appointees of Governor Richards, serving on the State Board of Accountancy. Robert Gee went on to serve as Chairman of the Public Utility Commission under Governor Richards before joining the Clinton Administration, and Gordon Quan served on the Houston City Council and as the city's Mayor Pro Tem.

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In the years that followed, leaders such as Judge Toni Ingversen, Judge Hannah Chow—the first AANHPI elected to the judicial bench in Texas—and Rogene Gee Calvert played key roles in expanding the caucus. In 2002, Houston businessman Bien Tran served two terms as AADT President until 2006, further solidifying the caucus's influence and reach.

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The 2006 Texas Democratic State Convention in Fort Worth marked a historic milestone: AANHPIs were elected to the State Democratic Executive Committee (SDEC) for the first time*. Farrukh Shamsi (Senate District 7) and Arif Gafur (SD 17) became SDEC members, and thanks to the advocacy of Mini Timmaraju (then-President of AADT, now a leading reproductive rights advocate) and AJ Durrani (then-Vice President), party rules were amended to include two perpetual add-on members from the AANHPI caucus. As a result, Mini and AJ officially joined the SDEC, representing the caucus.

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In 2012, SDEC member Farrukh Shamsi was elected Vice Chair for Finance of the state party, holding the third-highest leadership position in the TDP. In 2016, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) granted Texas an additional at-large seat**. At the 2016 Texas Democratic State Convention in San Antonio, AJ Durrani became the first AANHPI from Texas to serve as a DNC member representing the caucus. Kathleen Hoang was also elected as the DNC youth representative, marking both as the first AANHPIs from Texas to serve at the national party in their respective roles. 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, over 50 AANHPIs from Texas have served as national delegates to the Democratic National Conventions, further solidifying AADT's impact at all levels of the Democratic Party.

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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).