Introduction
Jane Gray Nelson(born October 5, 1951)is an American businesswoman who sits on the board of her husband's company and a former school teacher(1973-1978) who represents Texas Senate District 12, encompassing parts of Denton and Tarrant counties.She was elected to the Senate in 1992 after serving two two-year terms (1988-1992) on the Texas State Board of Education.
Texas Senate
Senator Nelson is the highest ranking Republican in the Texas Senate. The tenth woman ever elected to the Texas Senate, she was the first Republican woman ever appointed chair of a standing committee and now holds the distinction of being longest serving chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee in Texas history. In 2015, she was appointed chair of the Senate Finance Committee, being the first woman to hold the position in the history of the Texas Senate.She also serves as chair of the Sunset Advisory Commission.
During the 2013 legislative session, Senator Nelson authored 40 bills that were passed into law by the Legislature, and she served as the Senate sponsor on 30 successful bills authored by House members. She served on 19 conference committees, including for SB 1, the appropriations bill.Senator Nelson chaired the Article II workgroup, which increased the women's health budget by $100 million and made significant new investments in mental health and Child Protective Services.
In October of 2019, the Texas Parent Teacher Association named Senator Nelson a Texas PTA Champion for Children for her leadership during the 86th Legislative Session.
Senate Health and Human Services Committee
In July 2013, Nelson presided over a 16-hour hearing on an abortion bill that drew testimony from over 3,800 people, including 357 who provided oral testimony. The bill, HB 3, sought to ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. The bill also required abortion facilities to upgrade to ambulatory surgical standards.
Election history
1992
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bob Glasgow (Incumbent) | 92,113 | 39.70 | ||
| Republican | Jane Nelson | 139,901 | 60.30 | ||
| Majority | 47,778 | 20.60 | |||
| Turnout | 232,014 | ||||
| Republican gain from Democratic | |||||
1994
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jane Nelson (Incumbent) | 127,623 | 100.00 | +39.44 | |
| Majority | 127,623 | 100.00 | +78.88 | ||
| Turnout | 127,623 | -31.75 | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
1996
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jane Nelson (Incumbent) | 160,296 | 100.00 | 0.00 | |
| Majority | 160,296 | 100.00 | 0.00 | ||
| Turnout | 160,296 | +25.60 | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
2000
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jane Nelson (Incumbent) | 207,079 | 100.00 | 0.00 | |
| Majority | 207,079 | 100.00 | 0.00 | ||
| Turnout | 207,079 | +29.19 | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
2002
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jane Nelson (Incumbent) | 121,991 | 89.83 | +53.49 | |
| Libertarian | Steve Rushton | 13,818 | 10.17 | +10.17 | |
| Majority | 108,173 | 79.65 | +52.33 | ||
| Turnout | 135,809 | -20.20 | |||
| Republican gain from Democratic | |||||
2006
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jane Nelson (Incumbent) | 109,513 | 63.98 | -25.84 | |
| Democratic | Dwight B. Fullingham | 55,380 | 32.35 | +32.35 | |
| Libertarian | Morgan Ware | 6,273 | 3.66 | -6.51 | |
| Majority | 54,133 | 31.63 | -48.02 | ||
| Turnout | 171,166 | +26.03 | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
2010
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jane Nelson (Incumbent) | 148,508 | 86% | ||
| Libertarian | Mark Frohman | 23,878 | 14% | ||
| Majority | |||||
| Turnout | |||||
| Republican hold | |||||
Family
Nelson and her husband, Mike Nelson, have five adult children and twelve grandchildren.