Ellen Cohen
Encyclopedia
Ellen Cohen was a Democratic
member of the Texas House of Representatives
from District 134 from 2006 to 2010.
Shortly after moving to Houston, Cohen began serving as executive director of the American Jewish Committee.
For 18 years, she served as President and CEO of the Houston Area Women's Center, which is dedicated to eliminating domestic and sexual violence. In that capacity she managed a $6.2 million budget and a 120-person staff, serving over 6,000 women, children, and men.
Cohen also serves or has served on the Boards of Congregation Beth Israel; Faith Trust Institute; American Jewish Committee; American Leadership Forum; Houston Area Adult Protective Services and the National Violence Against Women Advisory Task Force. Cohen is also a former President of Leadership Houston and the board of the Medical Center Hospital.
, the Sierra Club
, the Texas State Teachers Association, and other local, regional and nationwide organizations, Ellen Cohen was elected State Representative District 134, which includes Bellaire
, West University Place, River Oaks
and parts of Meyerland and Neartown
, in 2006.
Her competitors included incumbent Republican Martha Wong
and Libertarian Mhair Dekmezian, a Rice University
student. Cohen's campaign focused on improving public education, restoring children’s health insurance, finding solutions to the growing cost of college tuition and lowering homeowners’ insurance rate. During her 2006 campaign, Cohen out-raised incumbent Wong where the election was one of the most watched in the state - her opponent was elected in 2002 during redistricting making the district 55% Republican. Cohen stated during candidate forums where the district should have a representative who puts the residents, constituents, and the issues first, not partisanship first which Wong had done during her tenure. Several campaign ads circulated by Wong before the election attacked the following: the Children's Health Initiative Program (CHIP), immigration, and property taxes.
She was defeated in her 2010 bid for reelection by Sarah Davis.
For her legislative accomplishments, Cohen received the "Best Freshman Performance as a Bill Sponsor" from the online political publication Capitol Inside for her work on House Bill 1751 which will provide $25 million toward sexual assault and prevention programs. She had previously been recognized by Capitol Inside for the Best General Election Challenger Campaign in 2006.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member of the Texas House of Representatives
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
from District 134 from 2006 to 2010.
Personal Life and Career
Before moving to Houston in 1977, Cohen and her late husband, Lyon, lived in Lyon's hometown of Montreal with their two children, Marcie and Eric.Shortly after moving to Houston, Cohen began serving as executive director of the American Jewish Committee.
For 18 years, she served as President and CEO of the Houston Area Women's Center, which is dedicated to eliminating domestic and sexual violence. In that capacity she managed a $6.2 million budget and a 120-person staff, serving over 6,000 women, children, and men.
Cohen also serves or has served on the Boards of Congregation Beth Israel; Faith Trust Institute; American Jewish Committee; American Leadership Forum; Houston Area Adult Protective Services and the National Violence Against Women Advisory Task Force. Cohen is also a former President of Leadership Houston and the board of the Medical Center Hospital.
Political career
Endorsed by Houston ChronicleHouston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
, the Sierra Club
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
, the Texas State Teachers Association, and other local, regional and nationwide organizations, Ellen Cohen was elected State Representative District 134, which includes Bellaire
Bellaire
Bellaire may refer to:Places in the U.S.A.*Bellaire, Michigan*Bellaire, Minnesota*Bellaire, Ohio*Bellaire, Pennsylvania*Bellaire, Texas*Bellaire, Queens, New YorkOther*Bellaire High School, several High Schools...
, West University Place, River Oaks
River Oaks, Houston, Texas
River Oaks is an affluent community located in the geographic center of Houston, Texas, United States. Located within the 610 Loop and between Downtown and Uptown, the community spans . Established in the 1920s by brothers William and Michael Hogg, the community became a well-publicized national...
and parts of Meyerland and Neartown
Neartown Houston
Neartown is an area located in west-central Houston, Texas, United States and is one of the city's major cultural areas. Neartown is roughly bounded by U.S. Highway 59 to the south, Allen Parkway to the north, Bagby Street on the east, and Shepherd Drive to the west...
, in 2006.
Her competitors included incumbent Republican Martha Wong
Martha Wong
Dr. Martha Wong is a Texas politician who was the first Asian American woman to be elected to the Texas House of Representatives, representing Houston's District 134. In 1993, she became the Houston City Council's first elected Asian American Councilwoman, and was elected to three successive terms...
and Libertarian Mhair Dekmezian, a Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
student. Cohen's campaign focused on improving public education, restoring children’s health insurance, finding solutions to the growing cost of college tuition and lowering homeowners’ insurance rate. During her 2006 campaign, Cohen out-raised incumbent Wong where the election was one of the most watched in the state - her opponent was elected in 2002 during redistricting making the district 55% Republican. Cohen stated during candidate forums where the district should have a representative who puts the residents, constituents, and the issues first, not partisanship first which Wong had done during her tenure. Several campaign ads circulated by Wong before the election attacked the following: the Children's Health Initiative Program (CHIP), immigration, and property taxes.
She was defeated in her 2010 bid for reelection by Sarah Davis.
Awards
Ellen is the recipient of numerous awards for her contributions to the community. In July 2005, she was honored by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as an outstanding contributor to civil and human rights in Houston. In May 2008, she received the Woman of Wisdom Award from the Houston Area Women's Center. Other awards include the American Cancer Society's Texas Advocacy Award; the Vivian Miles Lifetime Achievement Award given by the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault; Texas Academy of Family Physicians 2008 Patient Advocacy Award; The Shattered Glass Award from Harris County Women's Political Caucus; Texas Executive Woman's Women on the Move Award; Celebration of Life Honoree by Woman's Hospital of Texas Research and Education Foundation; Leadership Houston Distinguished Alumnus Award; NAACP Outstanding Service Award; the American Jewish Committee's Max H. Nathan Award; an Oral History Honoree by Women of Achievement; the Outstanding Supporter Award from the Wind Coalition; and the Distinguished Leadership Award by the National Association for Community Leadership. In addition, she was named as one of Houston's 50 Most Influential Women by Houston Woman Magazine.For her legislative accomplishments, Cohen received the "Best Freshman Performance as a Bill Sponsor" from the online political publication Capitol Inside for her work on House Bill 1751 which will provide $25 million toward sexual assault and prevention programs. She had previously been recognized by Capitol Inside for the Best General Election Challenger Campaign in 2006.