Courtney Graham

Courtney Graham, an Austinite for seven years, has been fascinated with the political scene since she was a kid. Her family, rooted in traditional southern values, remains deeply conservative. Growing up, Courtney became the liberal black sheep of the family. Much to their chagrin, she welcomed the opposition of ideals, and used the lively debates over dinner as development for her own political beliefs. Since we define our political culture through labels, Courtney considers herself obstinately Democratic. Courtney moved to Austin to attend The University of Texas and has continuously worked full time while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Government and English. She interned for Democratic State Representatives Mark Homer and Mark Strama before landing a job with Representative Tracy O. King during the 80th Texas Legislature. Representative King chaired the House Committee on Border and International Affairs, so Courtney split her work between the committee and Capitol office. She left the Legislature in 2007 and currently works for the Texas Travel Industry Association as the executive assistant to the CEO and staff liaison for their legislative affairs committee. Courtney couldn’t be happier with the results of the presidential election. She is especially proud of her peers for taking an active role in the support of both candidates and the voting process. Perhaps somewhat naïve, she truly believes that one voice speaking loudly enough can have a huge impact. Her lifelong political heroes are Martin Luther King, Jr., Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Henry David Thoreau.