Marc Veasey Bio
Marc Allison Veasey (born January 3, 1971) is an American politician who has served as the U.S. representative for Texas’s 33rd congressional district since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Veasey represents a heavily diverse, Democratic-leaning district based in Tarrant and Dallas counties. In December 2025, he announced that he would not seek re-election to the U.S. House and instead would pursue a campaign for Tarrant County judge, although he suspended that campaign one week later.
Before his time in Congress, Veasey served in the Texas House of Representatives from 2005 to 2013, representing the 95th district. He also served as chair pro tempore of the House Democratic Caucus. Over the course of his legislative career, he has focused on education, criminal justice reform, and economic development.
Early Life and Background
Marc Allison Veasey was born on January 3, 1971, in Fort Worth, Texas, to Connie and Joseph Veasey. He grew up alongside his brother, Ryan, in a family that moved frequently through the Stop Six neighborhood of Fort Worth. When he was ten years old, his parents divorced, after which Marc, Ryan, and their mother relocated to the home of their maternal grandmother in the Como neighborhood of Fort Worth.
Veasey attended Arlington Heights High School in Fort Worth, where he completed his secondary education. He later enrolled at Texas Wesleyan University, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in mass communications. His uncle, Robert James English, was a television reporter who also worked for Jim Wright, a former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.
Path to US Politics
Before entering elected office, Veasey held a series of early jobs, including work as a substitute teacher and a sportswriter. He also wrote scripts for an advertising agency. One summer, he volunteered in the office of U.S. Representative Martin Frost, where his performance led to a hire as a field representative.
Veasey worked for Representative Frost for five years, gaining direct experience with constituent services and legislative operations. When Frost lost his 2004 reelection bid following the 2003 Texas redistricting, Veasey transitioned toward his own run for office. In 2004, he challenged Democratic State Representative Glenn Lewis for Texas’s 95th House district and won the primary, setting the stage for his legislative career.
Marc Veasey Career
Early Career (2005–2012)
Veasey represented Texas House District 95 from 2005 to 2013. After defeating Glenn Lewis 54% to 46% in the 2004 Democratic primary, he won the general election unopposed. He was subsequently reelected in 2006 with 91% of the vote, in 2008 with 96%, and in 2010 without opposition, demonstrating strong and consistent support in his district.
During his time in the Texas House, Veasey served as chair pro tempore of the House Democratic Caucus, a leadership role within the chamber’s Democratic members. He sponsored measures to expand career and technology training in high schools and authored HB 62, a bill honoring Tim Cole, a Texas Tech University student who was wrongly convicted of a 1985 rape. Veasey also authored a bill requiring a study aimed at strengthening enforcement of the James Byrd Jr. hate crime law.
Congressional Breakthrough (2012)
Following the 2010 United States Census, Texas gained new congressional seats through reapportionment, creating Texas’s 33rd congressional district, based in Tarrant and Dallas counties. The district was rated D+14 by the Cook Partisan Voting Index and was highly diverse, with a population that is 66% Hispanic and 17% African American. Eleven candidates filed for the Democratic primary.
Veasey finished first with 37% of the vote, short of the 50% needed to win outright, while State Representative Domingo García ranked second with 25%. In the runoff, Veasey defeated García 53% to 47%, winning Tarrant County with 68%. In the general election, he defeated Republican Chuck Bradley 73% to 26%, becoming the first African-American U.S. Representative elected from Tarrant County.
U.S. House of Representatives Era (2013–Present)
Veasey won his first reelection in 2014, defeating Tom Sanchez in the Democratic primary with 73.5% of the vote. He faced no Republican opponent in the general election that year, though Libertarian Jason Reeves appeared on the ballot. He continued to hold the seat through subsequent cycles, regularly posting dominant margins against Republican and Libertarian challengers.
In 2016, Veasey lost Dallas County but won Tarrant County in the Democratic primary against activist Carlos Quintanilla, taking 63% of the vote. He then defeated Republican M. Mark Mitchell 74% to 26% in the general election, spending $1.5 million on the campaign. He later defeated Quintanilla again in the primary with 70% of the vote and went on to defeat Republican Willie Billups and Libertarian Jason Reeves with 76% of the vote. In a subsequent cycle, he defeated Sean Segura 64% to 36% in the primary, earning the endorsement of the Dallas Morning News, and then beat Republican Fabian Cordova Vasquez and three minor candidates, including Quintanilla, with 67% of the vote, his weakest general election showing to date.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the defining moments of Veasey’s career came in 2012, when his election made him the first African-American U.S. Representative elected from Tarrant County. He has also drawn national attention for his willingness to break with members of his own party on certain issues, including his defense of Texas oil interests in February 2021 after President Joe Biden canceled the Keystone XL pipeline and imposed a moratorium on new oil and gas leases on federal lands and waters.
Marc Veasey Career Wins
Marc Veasey has built a record of consistent electoral victories across both chambers of the Texas and U.S. legislative systems. From his first Texas House race in 2004 through his multiple reelections to Congress, he has rarely faced serious competitive threats in general elections.
U.S. House Highlights
Veasey captured Texas’s 33rd congressional district in 2012 with 73% of the general election vote and went on to win each of his subsequent reelection campaigns by similarly wide margins. His earliest congressional primary win came with 37% in a crowded 2012 primary, while later primary victories included 73.5% in 2014, 63% and 70% in subsequent primaries against Carlos Quintanilla, and 64% against Sean Segura. His narrowest general election victory came when he took 67% of the vote against Republican Fabian Cordova Vasquez and three minor candidates.
Texas House Highlights
Veasey won Texas House District 95 in 2004 and was reelected three times without serious challenge, including 91% in 2006, 96% in 2008, and 100% in 2010. His leadership rise within the chamber culminated in his appointment as chair pro tempore of the House Democratic Caucus.
Marc Veasey Family
Family Background and Political Lineage
Veasey was raised by Connie and Joseph Veasey in Fort Worth, Texas, alongside his brother, Ryan. His uncle, Robert James English, worked as a television reporter and also served on the staff of Jim Wright, a former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. This family connection to a major figure in Texas Democratic politics helped shape Veasey’s early interest in public service.
Personal Life
Veasey is married to Tonya Jackson, a former Texas Senate aide. The couple has a son. His early professional life, including time as a substitute teacher and sportswriter, was rooted in the same Fort Worth community where he grew up and continues to be politically active.