Mark Strama, Representative, Austin, TX

Pro-Growth Progressive Idea: Proposed a bill to take $1 billion (of $9 billion) from Rainy Day fund to create a “Sunny Day Fund” that would match competitively awarded federal research and development funding

Mark Strama was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2004 and has divided his career between public service and private business.  After graduating from college, he worked on Ann Richards’ successful campaign for governor and later went on to become chief of staff in the Texas state legislature.

In 1995, Mark left government to become director of programs at Rock the Vote, where he helped register more than a million new voters. Mark then returned to Austin to found the first company to register voters online, working to bring the economy, efficiency, and convenience of new technology to the democratic process until the company was acquired in 2000.  He currently holds the franchise rights to the Sylvan Learning Centers in the Austin area.

With a broad range of experience in the business sector, nonprofit sector, and in government, Mark advocates for comprehensive reforms to the political system, so that politicians will place the public interest above special interests to improve our schools, health care, transportation systems, and economy.  Among his many roles in the non-profit world, Mark was a founding board member of Hope Street Group, a non-partisan organization of young business leaders that seeks to achieve equality of opportunity in a high-growth economy.

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