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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-11-22 Euless Articles He was born and raised in the Great State of Texas, and became a Euless resident in 1963. He devoted a great deal of his time as a dedicated and active volunteer of the city in one capacity or another. He and his wife, Jan, raised their children in the city and were active in the Euless Girls Softball Association for 12 years, serving as President for 11 years. During his service to the Association, he worked hand -in-hand with the Parks Board to ensure improvements to the city’s softball facilities. Leo n loved the City’s parks and served as Chairman of the Parks Board for eight years. Leon was first elected to serve on the Euless City Council in May of 1996 and completed six, three-year terms before retiring in 2014. During his tenure serving on the City Council, he served on the Animal Shelter Advisory Board and the Crime Control and Prevention District Board. Additionally, he served as the Council representative to the HEB Economic Development Foundation, and previously served on the Half -Cent Sales Tax Education Committee. In recognition of his many years of service, the Leon Hogg Amphitheater of The Villages of Bear Creek was dedicated in 2014. Service arrangements are pending at this time and will be held in December. I will share the service details with you once they are made available. Please keep Jan, the Hogg children, and the entire family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. Texas voters elect first-ever Muslim state lawmakers Texas voters on Tuesday elected the first Muslim lawmakers to the state’s Legislature. The two Democrats — one in North Texas and one in the Houston area — defeated Republicans to win seats in the Texas House. Former Euless City Council member Salman Bhojani won a decisive victory against Republican Joe Livingston to represent a swath of the diverse Hurst-Euless-Bedford corridor that stretches into north Arlington and Grand Prairie. Bhojani’s victory also gave Democrats one of their only wins in Tarrant County, which is Texas’ last urban county dominated by Republicans. Bhojani, 42, was a familiar face for many voters in the Mid -Cities region. In a 2018 council race, then-Rep. Jonathan Stickland, a Republican, warned “EULESS RESIDENTS BEWARE” before pointing out that Bhojani was Muslim, saying his ideas would “scare a majority of our residents.” Bhojani went on to win the council race and had planned to run for the Texas Senate in 2021 before redistricting forced him to drop out. On Tuesday, Bhojani won the seat once held by Stickland. He is the first person of color to represent District 92. Throughout the election, Bhojani said he focused on “kitchen table issues that every family cares about, regardless of their party” — strengthening schools, building an economy that works for all Texans and improving access to health care. While campaigning, he frequently shared his own story: He moved to the U.S. from Pakistan at age 19, mopped floors of gas stations and worked three jobs to get by before eventually purchasing his own gas station then earning a law degree from Southern Methodist University. “I’m proof the American dream still exists,” he said. “And now, how do I make sure the American Dream is alive and well in District 92?” Record number of Muslim candidates In Fort Bend County near Houston, Suleman Lalani — an internal medicine physician who immigrated to the U.S. from Pakistan in the early 1990s — defeated Republican Dan Mathews by a wide margin. Lalani ran on a platform of improving health care and public education, protecting the grid and environment, and developing an equitable state economy. Across the U.S., a record 146 American Muslim candidates ran for local, state and federal office this election, according to the nonprofit Council on American-Islamic Relations. A total of 38 American Muslims won seats on state legislatures. CAIR executive director Nihad Award said in a prepared statement the elections are a testament to the Muslim community’s “rise in American politics” and “trust our neighbors have placed in us to represent them.” “W e are witnessing the next step in the American Muslim community’s political transformation,” he said, “from marginalized voices that were sidelined, or worse, to decision makers.” Tarrant County elected one of Texas’ first Muslim and first South Asian state legislators BY EMILY BRINDLEY ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 10, 2022 7:00 AM UPDATED NOVEMBER 10, 2022 4:30 PM After Tuesday’s election, a former Euless councilman will become Texas’ first South Asian state legislator and first Muslim state legislator, both of which are titles that he’ll share with another representative-elect. Tarrant County voters in House District 92 have largely cast their ballots for Salman Bhojani, who by Wednesday morning had received 58% of reported votes. The district sits on the Dallas County line and includes portions of Bedford, Euless and Arlington. In Fort Bend County, Democrat Dr. Suleman Lalani received a similar portion of reported votes in his House District 76 race. Until the two men won their races, it does not appear that Texans had ever elected a South Asian state legislator or a Muslim state legislator. Lalani said in an emailed statement that he recognizes the historic nature of his election. “But how I serve this multi-ethnic, minority majority community is more important,” Lalani said in the statement. “I want non-Muslims in Texas to know Muslims can serve and lead in all communities faithfully and effectively.” Bhojani, a 42-year-old lawyer, said that he sees his constituency first and foremost as the residents of HD-92. But he also feels a responsibility to listen to the needs and concerns of the hundreds of thousands of Muslim Americans and South Asian Americans across Texas. “I don’t take it as a burden,” Bhojani said. “I think that if we can provide them really meaningful representation, they will see through that.” “My goal has always been to be a public servant.” Bhojani added that he’s aiming to hire a diverse staff, so that he can “really make sure that we are listening to all our South Asian community members, Muslim community members, as well as our District 92.” In yet another first, Bhojani will be also be the first person of color to hold the HD-92 seat. His win marks a flip of the HD-92 seat from Republican to Democrat. While the seat had been Republican, last year’s redistricting left it leaning Democrat. Bhojani, who emigrated from Pakistan to Texas as a teenager, became became the first Muslim American to hold an elected position in Euless when he won a city council seat in 2018. He said he feels that he has lived the American Dream, starting by working for mini mum wages and eventually graduating from law school and starting his own firm. “Most of my district is sort of blue collar,” Bhojani said. “I want to bring that perspective that I have ... to Austin to make sure that we are fighting for those hardworking Texans that may not have that same opportunity that I received when I came to the country, and how do we expand that opportunity to them as well.” At the state level, Bhojani will also be one of few Democrats elected from the Tarrant County area. He is one of only two Democrat winners in Tarrant County’s state House and Senate races, alongside incumbent Rep. Nicole Collier in House District 95. He said he’s already reaching out to other legislators, instead of waiting until he’s sworn into office. Bhojani said his message has been that he’s “a hard-worker and not a partisan person.” “That’s the kind of bipartisanship I want to create,” Bhojani said. The 2022 election results are not yet final. Once the results are finalized, the newly elected and reelected legislators will take office in January 2023. State representatives serve two-year terms.