Joseph Kopser - Ballotpedia

Joseph Kopser is a graduate of West Point with a degree in Aerospace Engineering and holds a master’s degree from the Harvard Kennedy School. He has been married to his wife, Amy, for 31 years, and they live in Austin. He is the father of three daughters.

Joseph is a technology entrepreneur, aerospace engineer, and U.S. Army veteran who served 20 years on active duty. He co-founded and led the transportation app RideScout until its acquisition by Mercedes-Benz in 2014, and he currently serves as President of the Grayline Group. His military service includes roles as a Ranger-qualified officer and Department Chair at the Texas Army ROTC. In 2025, he served as an Executive-in-Residence at the UT McCombs School of Business.

Joseph Kopser previously ran for Congress in 2018 and did not win.

Joseph Kopser | Grayline Group

Joseph Kopser Announces Candidacy for Texas House District 47 ...

Austin's Texas House candidates: Who's running in primary

As of January 22, 2026, Joseph Kopser’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Economy

Believes in the importance of voter engagement.

- Believes in the importance of voter engagement.

Public Safety

Healthcare

Supports fully funding public schools, competitive teacher pay, and creating education-to-career pipelines.

- Supports fully funding public schools, competitive teacher pay, and creating education-to-career pipelines.

Education

Supports modernizing the Texas power grid and investing in smart infrastructure.

- Supports modernizing the Texas power grid and investing in smart infrastructure.

Energy & the Environment

Voting & Elections

LinkedIn

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

Joseph Kopser

Emileigh Crouch

Walter Ley

Texas House of Representatives District 47 - Ballotpedia

Pooja Sethi has a bachelor's degree from George Washington University and a law degree from Syracuse University. She has a husband and a son. 

Pooja is the chief of staff to State Representative Vikki Goodwin. She works in Goodwin’s office at the Texas Capitol. She previously worked as an immigration attorney at Catholic Charities and owned a small business.

Pooja is the chief of staff to State Representative Vikki Goodwin. She previously worked as an immigration attorney and owned a small business.

Pooja Sethi previously served as a member of the Texas House of Representatives, representing District 47 from 2019 to 2021.

Pooja Sethi to run for Texas House seat held by Vikki Goodwin ...

Supports investing in grid infrastructure and reliability.

Wants to lower energy bills by increasing oversight and reducing blackouts.

- Supports investing in grid infrastructure and reliability.
- Wants to lower energy bills by increasing oversight and reducing blackouts.

Supports cracking down on illegal street racing and reckless driving.

Supports commonsense gun safety laws, including universal background checks, safe storage, and red flag laws.

Supports gun safety laws, including universal background checks, safe storage, and temporarily removing firearms from individuals deemed a danger to themselves or others. 

For Candidate Pooja Sethi on Issue public-safety:  
Supports keeping guns out of schools and out of the hands of domestic abusers.

Supports keeping guns out of schools and domestic abusers. 

For Candidate Pooja Sethi on Issue economy:  
Supports working with TXDot to improve school zones, crosswalks, and intersection safety.

Supports working with the Texas Department of Transportation to improve school zones, crosswalks, and intersection safety.

- Supports cracking down on illegal street racing and reckless driving.
- Supports gun safety laws, including universal background checks, safe storage, and temporarily removing firearms from individuals deemed a danger to themselves or others. 
- Supports keeping guns out of schools and domestic abusers. 
- Supports working with the Texas Department of Transportation to improve school zones, crosswalks, and intersection safety.

Supports reproductive rights, including IVF, abortion, and contraception.

Supports expanding Medicaid and improving maternal and postpartum care.

Supports increasing access to mental health and preventive services.

- Supports reproductive rights, including IVF, abortion, and contraception.
- Supports expanding Medicaid and improving maternal and postpartum care.
- Supports increasing access to mental health and preventive services.

For Candidate Pooja Sethi on Issue education: Supports fully funding neighborhood schools to prevent closures and overcrowding.

Supports fully funding neighborhood schools to prevent closures and overcrowding.

For Candidate Pooja Sethi on Issue education:  
Opposes state takeovers of local elections and school boards.

Opposes state takeovers of local elections and school boards.

For Candidate Pooja Sethi on Issue economy:  
Wants to fix the broken recapture system that drains money from classrooms.

Wants to "fix the broken recapture system that drains money from our classrooms."

Supports raising teacher pay and investing in counselors, nurses, and special education.

- Supports fully funding neighborhood schools to prevent closures and overcrowding.
- Opposes state takeovers of local elections and school boards.
- Wants to "fix the broken recapture system that drains money from our classrooms."
- Supports raising teacher pay and investing in counselors, nurses, and special education.

Supports funding for wildfire prevention and mitigation efforts.

Supports funding wildfire prevention and mitigation efforts.

Supports confronting water scarcity by protecting and preserving Texas water supplies.

Supports strengthening drought planning, conservation, and water infrastructure.

- Supports funding wildfire prevention and mitigation efforts.
- Supports confronting water scarcity by protecting and preserving Texas water supplies.
- Supports strengthening drought planning, conservation, and water infrastructure.

Supports expanding early voting and protecting vote-by-mail.

For Candidate Pooja Sethi on Issue economy: Supports ending gerrymandering and restoring fair representation.

Supports ending gerrymandering and "restoring fair representation."

- Supports expanding early voting and protecting vote-by-mail.
- Supports ending gerrymandering and "restoring fair representation."

Pooja Sethi

Pooja Sethi earned her Bachelor of Arts from George Washington University and her Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law. She is a longtime resident of House District 47, where she lives with her husband and young son.

Pooja is the former chair of the Travis County Democratic Party, serving as the first Asian American Pacific Islander to hold the position. She also ran for Austin City Council District 10 in 2020, but did not win.

- Wants to fully fund neighborhood schools to prevent closures and overcrowding.
- Wants to fix the broken recapture system that drains money from classrooms.
- Supports raising teacher pay and investing in counselors, nurses, and special education.
- Supports working with TXDot to improve school zones, crosswalks, and intersection safety.
- Supports investing in grid infrastructure and reliability.
- Wants to lower energy bills by increasing oversight and reducing blackouts.
- Supports funding for wildfire prevention and mitigation efforts.
- Supports confronting water scarcity by protecting and preserving Texas water supplies.
- Supports strengthening drought planning, conservation, and water infrastructure.
- Supports expanding early voting and protecting vote-by-mail.
- Supports ending gerrymandering and restoring fair representation.

- Supports cracking down on illegal street racing and reckless driving.
- Supports commonsense gun safety laws, including universal background checks, safe storage, and red flag laws.
- Supports keeping guns out of schools and out of the hands of domestic abusers.

- Supports fully funding neighborhood schools to prevent closures and overcrowding.
- Supports fixing the broken recapture system that drains money from classrooms.
- Supports raising teacher pay and investing in counselors, nurses, and special education.
- Opposes state takeovers of local elections and school boards.

- Supports investing in grid infrastructure and reliability.
- Supports lowering energy bills by increasing oversight and reducing blackouts.
- Supports funding for wildfire prevention and mitigation efforts.
- Plans to confront water scarcity by protecting and preserving Texas water supplies.
- Supports strengthening drought planning, conservation, and water infrastructure.

As of January 22, 2026, Pooja Sethi’s website did not contain information on this issue.

For Candidate Pooja Sethi on Issue education:  
Supports fixing the broken recapture system that drains money from classrooms.

Wants to fully fund neighborhood schools to prevent closures and overcrowding.

Supports lowering energy bills by increasing oversight and reducing blackouts.

For Candidate Pooja Sethi on Issue energy-and-environment: Supports funding for wildfire prevention and mitigation efforts.

Plans to confront water scarcity by protecting and preserving Texas water supplies.

- Your state representative represents the interests of your local district in the Texas House of Representatives. The State House of Representatives, along with the State Senate, makes up your state lawmaking body: the Texas State Legislature
- Your state representative can author, sponsor, and vote on bills that may become state laws. 
- There are 150 members of the Texas House of Representatives, each representing a single district. Representatives must be at least 21 years old and reside in the state for at least two years before their election. 
- State representatives are elected to two-year terms during even-numbered years. There are no term limits. 
- State representatives make $7,200 annually in addition to a $221 payment per day during legislative sessions and mileage reimbursements.

Your representative and state lawmaker in the Texas House of Representatives.

This sample ballot may not include all local party roles or measures on the official ballot. The listed candidates serve only within their party, and the propositions do not change the law.

Texas State Representative, District 47, Democratic Primary

Election results

Candidates (2)