About Jacky
A Southeast Texan Who Shows Up
A lifelong Southeast Texan Latina, daughter of immigrants, former State
Capitol staffer, bricklayer, and community advocate.
Her Story
Hi, I'm Jacky.
Hi, I’m Jacqueline “Jacky” Hernández. But feel free to call me Jacky.
I’m a lifelong Southeast Texan Latina, and pretty much everything I do
comes back to one thing: my community.
That’s why I’m running to be your State Representative.
I’m the oldest daughter in a working-class immigrant family, so I learned
pretty early that you show up, you work hard, and you take care of your
people.
Life threw some pretty big challenges at my family early on, but I kept
pushing forward. During my senior year of high school, my mom battled
cancer. I still earned a full scholarship to Lamar University, worked full
time, and went to school full time.
While at Lamar, I got involved in my community. I organized bilingual
college forums, helped register voters, and connected people with free
legal resources.
But Austin was never really home.
So I came back to keep showing up for my community.
I worked at a law firm, moved into the corporate world, and built a
career. Then my dad’s health took a turn, and I made a pretty big change.
I left the office and stepped into the family business.
The Work
Steel-Toe Boots and All.
Now I’m a bricklayer, steel-toe boots and all.
I’m not just pointing fingers and telling people what to do. I’m
hands-on. I lay the brick. I put up the scaffolding. I make the mortar
mix by hand.
I do the work.
Why I’m Running
Service Means Showing Up.
And honestly, that changed the way I look at a lot of things.
There’s a difference between talking about working families and actually
knowing what it means to get up every morning and do the work.
For me, service has never been about having the right title.
It’s about showing up.
It’s about doing the grunt work when nobody is watching.
It’s about being the person people call when they don’t know where else
to turn.
I’ve spent years working behind the scenes as a mentor, community
advocate, resource, and someone willing to roll up her sleeves and help.
And Southeast Texas saw me.
So when it was time to step up, I answered the call.
This Is My Story
I Run on
Actions, Not Words.
I’m Jacqueline “Jacky” Hernández.
I’m a daughter of immigrants, a former State Capitol staffer, a
bricklayer, and a community advocate.
But more than anything, I’m somebody who believes you don’t just talk
about what needs to be done.
You get to work.
Southeast Texas is my home.
And this is my story.
