Gov. Greg Abbott appoints Democrat-turned-Republican Rep. Shawn Thierry to juvenile justice board

Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.

Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday appointed outgoing state Rep. Shawn Thierry, who recently switched from the Democrat to Republican party, to the state’s juvenile justice board.

Thierry was elected to the House from a Houston-based district for four terms until last year when she lost her primary election to Rep.-elect Lauren Simmons. The race was seen as a referendum on Thierry who had broken with Democrats during the 2023 legislative session to support bills that barred gender-transitioning care for minors and removed books deemed “sexually explicit,” which advocates feared would be used to target literature that supported gay, transgender and queer Texans.

After losing her election, Thierry switched to a Republican and criticized the Democratic party for “losing its way.” She has become a cause celebré for social conservatives who oppose policies allowing transgender people the same rights as others. Last August, she was named director of political strategy for one of these groups.

Thierry’s appointment to the juvenile justice board is notable because it comes as conservative lawmakers push to ensure juvenile inmates are housed according to the biological sex assigned to them at birth.

In a statement, Abbott highlighted Thierry’s experience in the Legislature, particularly her work on the House Juvenile Justice and Family Issues Committee. The Texas Juvenile Justice Board develops and implements rules for the state’s juvenile justice department, which has been in turmoil for years. The agency is severely understaffed and kids in its care have been exposed to excessive force and sexual abuse.