Former high school math teacher Jalen McKee-Rodriguez made history this month when he earned a city on the San Antonio City Council. By beating out incumbent Jada Andrews-Sullivan, McKee-Rodriguez has just become the first openly gay Black man to hold a public office in the state of Texas.
"A lot of people said that District 2 wouldn't be ready for a candidate like me. Would District 2 be ready for a young gay candidate? Is Texas ready for a gay Black man to be elected anywhere and to any position? And so I think what we proved and what the community proved is that everyone deserves representation," McKee-Rodriguez told KENS 5 in Texas.
"If you have the right motives and if you have the right passions and if you're a good listener, the people will trust that. I hope this opens doors for a lot of people."
McKee-Rodriguez's victory did not only make waves in San Antonio. He earned support from the Texas Freedom Fund, the LGBTQ Victory Fund, Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta and several others. The former teacher was extremely gracious in defeating his former boss, Andrews-Sullivan, and thanked everyone who helped get him to this point.
"We did it! Thank you to my wonderful and supportive husband and family, the amazing team that had my back every step of the way, every friend who supported me, and every voter who placed their trust in me. Thank you," he tweeted.
Mckee-Rodriguez is set to be officially sworn into office in the coming weeks.
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