Joe Moody (politician)

Joseph Edward Moody (born January 9, 1981) is a lawyer from El Paso, Texas, who serves as Speaker Pro Tempore of the Texas House of Representatives.^[1] He represented District 78 since 2008 with the exception of the 82nd Texas Legislature where he was defeated by Dee Margo in the 2010 general election. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

Joe Moody
Speaker pro tempore of the Texas House of Representatives
Incumbent
Assumed office February 13, 2025
Preceded by	Charlie Geren
In office January 8, 2019 – July 15, 2021
Preceded by	Dennis Bonnen
Succeeded by	Charlie Geren
Member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 78th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 8, 2013
Preceded by	Dee Margo
In office January 13, 2009 – January 11, 2011
Preceded by	Pat Haggerty
Succeeded by	Dee Margo
Personal details
Born	Joseph Edward Moody (1981-01-09) January 9, 1981 (age 44) El Paso, Texas, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Adrianne Moody
Education	New Mexico State University (BA) Texas Tech University (JD)

Early life and education

Moody was raised in El Paso, Texas and attended Cathedral High School. His father, William Moody, served as a state district judge, and his mother, Magdalena Morales-Moody, was a school teacher. He attended New Mexico State University where he studied government and history. He went on to graduate from Texas Tech University School of Law.^[2][3]

Career

After graduating from law school in 2006, Moody helped his father Bill Moody campaign for the Supreme Court of Texas. He was an assistant district attorney in El Paso County when he ran against Louis Irwin in the Democratic primary leading up to the 2008 Texas House of Representatives election.^[2] After winning the primary, he faced Republican Dee Margo in the general elections.^[4]

Moody defeated Margo in the 2008 general election, winning by 3,200 votes.^[5] Both ran against each other again in the 2010 Texas House of Representatives election where Margo won.^[6] They faced each other a third time during the 2012 Texas House of Representatives election where Moody won.^[7]

Moody won his fifth nonconsecutive term in the House in the general election held on November 6, 2018. With 31,361 votes (65.2 percent) and buoyed by the U.S. Senate candidacy of Beto O'Rourke, also an El Paso native, Moody beat Republican candidate Jeffrey Lane who finished with 16,741 votes (34.8 percent).^[8]

Moody served as Speaker Pro Tempore in the 86th and 87th Legislatures, but was removed from the position by Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan on July 15, 2021, after Moody and other Democrats broke quorum by leaving the state on July 12, 2021 in protest of Republican sponsored voting legislation.^[9][10] He was reappointed to the role in the 89th Legislature by Speaker Dustin Burrows.^[11]