Elizabeth Watkins

**Elizabeth Rose Watkins** (née **Mueller**; born June 24, 1964) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the junior U.S. Senator from Texas since 2009. A member of the Republican Party, she served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Texas's 27th district, from 2001 to 2009.

Born in Houston, Texas, Watkins grew up in the suburb of Bellaire, Texas. After graduating from St. Thomas' Episcopal School in 1982, she moved to Washington, D.C. to attend Georgetown University, graduating with a degree in global business in 1986. Afterwards, she moved to New Haven, Connecticut to attend Yale Law School at Yale University, graduating with her law degree in 1989. After completing her education, Watkins returned to Texas and began working as a corporate attorney, originally settling back in Houston. In 1993, she moved to Corpus Christi, Texas. Watkins left her law career in 2001, in order to enter politics.

Watkins began her political career in 2000, announcing a candidacy for Texas's 27th district in the U.S. House of Representatives. Watkins went on to win the Republican nomination and later the general election as well, being sworn in on January 3, 2001. In 2008, she launched her campaign for Senate, securing the Republican nomination easily and later winning the general election in a landslide victory. She was later reelected in 2014 as well.

## Early life and family

Watkins was born on June 24, 1964 in Houston, Texas to parents Sherman (1922–2005) and Rose Mueller (née *Sirmais*; born 1937). Shortly after her birth, the family moved to the affluent Houston suburb of Bellaire, Texas, where Watkins was raised. Her father worked as a real estate developer, while her mother was a homemaker and socialite. She was raised in a Presbyterian family; her father was of English, German, and Scotch-Irish ancestry, while her mother is of German and Latvian descent. Watkins grew up as an only child.

## Education and law career

Watkins attended private schooling. She began her education in 1969, attending St. Thomas' Episcopal School, an independent coeducational PK–12 school in Houston, Texas affiliated with the Episcopal Church. She began high school at St. Thomas' in 1978, where she was a varsity cheerleader, honors student, and class president. She went on to be elected prom queen at her graduation in 1982, and also was her class's salutatorian. After graduating from high school, Watkins moved to Washington, D.C. to attend Georgetown University, where she graduated with a degree in global business in 1986. During her studies, she spent a year abroad in Paris, France and learned to speak fluent French.

After graduating with her bachelor's degree, Watkins enrolled in Yale Law School at Yale University. She graduated with her law degree in 1989. Following her graduation, Watkins returned to Houston, where she began working as a corporate attorney. In 1993, she moved to Corpus Christi, Texas and continued her career there. Watkins left her law career in 2001, in order to enter politics.

## Political positions

*Main article: Political positions of Elizabeth Watkins.*

## Personal life

Watkins began dating real estate developer Bernard Watkins in 1987; they had met at Yale University, where she was a law student and he was an MBA student. They became engaged in 1989 and married the following year, settling in her hometown of Houston, Texas. They have one child: Alice, born  (1999-03-03) March 3, 1999 (age 24).

After moving to Corpus Christi, Texas in 1993, Watkins purchased an eight-bedroom coastal home, valued at $5.3 million. She purchased a second home in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. in 2001, valued at $1.3 million. In 2009, she filed for divorce from her husband citing irreconcilable differences; their divorce was finalized the following year.