A prominent member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. is looking to make history in the state of Texas. Council member Amanda Edwards recently announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate, seeking to capture the seat currently held by Republican John Cornyn.

Serving 2.3 million constituents as a member of the Houston City Council, Edwards is a successful attorney and relentless community advocate. A native Texan, she holds one of Houston’s five at-large council seats.

In her campaign announcement video, 37-year-old Edwards spoke about moving into arenas where she is most needed. “My style and approach to leadership — my servant leadership — is exactly what Texans need at this time, exactly what they need.” She plans to target millennial and minority voters, pointing to work she has done in support of minority-owned businesses and startups.

Democratic Party leaders see this Texas race as vital to their hopes of taking over the Senate in 2020. With a win, Amanda would become the first African American and the second woman to serve in the US Senate from the state of Texas. She would also be the first Democrat to hold this office in over 25 years.

 “This is going to be a very pivotal moment in our country’s trajectory,” Edwards said. “This is going to be potentially the shift of the power paradigm of our nation, right here in Texas.”

Edwards was elected to city council in 2015. She is a graduate of Emory University, where she served as president of the undergraduate student body and was later inducted into the Emory University Hall of Fame. After graduation, Edwards worked for Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee in Washington, D.C. before earning her degree from Harvard Law School, where she co-chaired the Harvard Black Law Students Association Spring Conference and was awarded the Elaine Osborne Jacobson Award in recognition of her service to underserved populations in healthcare law.

In true AKA fashion, Edward’s commitment to community service doesn’t stop there. She has served as President of the Board of Directors for Project Row Houses in the Historical Third Ward community and on numerous other civic boards and committees. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the National League of Cities, and is a member of the Houston Chapter of The Links, Inc.

To learn more about Edwards and her run for the Senate, visit for campaign website at https://amandafortexas.com/.