Will Hurd Bio
William Ballard Hurd (born August 19, 1977) is an American politician, former Central Intelligence Agency clandestine officer, and author. A Republican, he represented Texas’s 23rd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2015 to 2021, a large, majority-Hispanic border district stretching from San Antonio to El Paso. Known as a moderate and a leading voice on technology and cybersecurity, Hurd worked on bipartisan legislation and served on intelligence and homeland security panels.
After leaving Congress he wrote a book, served in academic and advisory roles, and briefly sought the 2024 Republican presidential nomination before suspending his campaign and endorsing Nikki Haley.
Early Life and Background
William Ballard Hurd was born on August 19, 1977, in San Antonio, Texas, to Robert Hurd and Mary Alice Hurd. His father is Black and his mother is white, and he grew up with a brother, Chuck, and a sister, Elizabeth. Hurd’s mixed-race upbringing in San Antonio shaped his perspective on the diverse border region he would later represent in Congress.
Hurd is a graduate of John Marshall High School in Leon Valley, Texas, a suburb of San Antonio. He went on to attend Texas A&M University, where he majored in computer science and minored in international relations. He was elected student body president and was serving in that role during the 1999 Aggie Bonfire collapse, a defining moment for the university community.
Path to US Politics
After college, Hurd joined the Central Intelligence Agency, where he worked for nine years, from 2000 to 2009. Stationed primarily in Washington, D.C., he served as an operations officer in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India, and speaks Urdu, which he used while working undercover in Pakistan. One of his roles at the CIA was briefing members of Congress, an experience that first drew him toward public office.
Following his CIA service, Hurd returned to Texas and joined the private sector as a partner with Crumpton Group LLC, a strategic advisory firm, and as a senior adviser with FusionX, a cybersecurity firm. In 2009 he announced his candidacy for Congress, setting the stage for a political career focused on technology, national security, and bipartisan governance.
Will Hurd Career
Early Career (2010-2014)
Hurd launched his political career in 2009 when he announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in Texas’s 23rd congressional district, a district that is two-thirds Hispanic. In the March 2010 primary he received the most votes but not a majority, forcing a runoff against Francisco “Quico” Canseco, a San Antonio banker making his third bid for Congress. Canseco defeated Hurd in the runoff by 53% to 47%.
He returned to the race in 2014 and, after a runoff, won the Republican primary over Canseco before defeating Democratic incumbent Pete Gallego in the general election. The victory was considered an upset and made Hurd only the second Republican to win the seat in modern times, supported by the endorsement of former CIA director and Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
23rd Congressional District Era (2015-2019)
Will Hurd assumed office as a U.S. representative on January 3, 2015. During his first term he ranked third among freshman House members in the number of bills passed, with much of his work focused on bipartisan cybersecurity and technology legislation. In July 2015 he was named co-chair of the Congressional Future Caucus alongside Tulsi Gabbard, replacing Aaron Schock.
In his first term Hurd was made chairman of the Information Technology Subcommittee of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, an unusual assignment for a freshman lawmaker, and he served as vice-chair of the Border and Maritime Subcommittee of the Homeland Security Committee. He was appointed to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in his second term, replacing Mike Pompeo after Pompeo left to lead the CIA. His background as a former undercover officer led The Daily Dot to call him “The Most Interesting Man in Congress.”
Alongside Brian Fitzpatrick, John Katko, and Elise Stefanik, Hurd was considered one of the most moderate Republicans in the House. He voted against his party’s positions on LGBT rights, gun control, immigration, and repeal of the Affordable Care Act, drawing praise for his bipartisanship, and as of August 2019 he was the only Black Republican in the House of Representatives.
Final Term and Retirement (2019-2021)
On August 1, 2019, Will Hurd announced that he would not seek reelection to Congress in 2020, bringing his three-term tenure to a close. His district spanned two time zones and more than 800 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border, and as of January 2019 he was the only Republican member of Congress representing a district along the border. He left office in January 2021 after serving from 2015 to 2021.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the most memorable events of Hurd’s career was a March 2017 bipartisan road trip with Texas Democrat Beto O’Rourke. Stranded in San Antonio by snowstorm-induced flight cancellations, the two lawmakers needed to return to Washington for a House vote and rented a car for a 1,600-mile drive that they broadcast on Facebook Live, an experience that later led to joint legislation.
Will Hurd Career Wins
Will Hurd won three consecutive general elections in Texas’s 23rd congressional district, in 2014, 2016, and 2018, even as the district remained one of the most competitive in the country. His victories in 2016 and 2018, both against former congressman Pete Gallego, were among the closest House races in Texas during that period.
23rd Congressional District Highlights
Hurd first won the seat in 2014 by defeating Democratic incumbent Pete Gallego in a result considered an upset. He was renominated in 2016 with 82.2% of the primary vote and went on to defeat Gallego again by roughly 1.3% in the general election. In 2018 he won the Republican primary with 80% of the vote and was declared the winner of the general election over Gina Ortiz Jones by a margin of 926 votes after all ballots were counted.
Other Wins & Achievements
In 2018, Allegheny College awarded Will Hurd the Prize for Civility in Public Life, sharing the honor with Beto O’Rourke, recognizing their bipartisan collaboration and civility in public service.
Will Hurd Family
Family Background and Lineage
Will Hurd was born to Robert Hurd, his father, and Mary Alice Hurd, his mother, and grew up in San Antonio, Texas, with a brother, Chuck, and a sister, Elizabeth. His father is Black and his mother is white, and he was raised in the San Antonio area that he would later represent in Congress.
Personal Life
In 2017, Politico reported that Hurd was dating Lynlie Wallace, the chief of staff to Texas State Representative Lyle Larson. He and Wallace married on December 31, 2022, and the couple have a daughter. Hurd lives in Helotes, Texas, a suburb of San Antonio.