Sen. Eliot Shapleigh

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A fifth-generation El Pasoan whose roots in his community trace back to 1847, Senator Eliot Shapleigh represents Senate District 29, which includes most of El Paso County. He graduated from Rice University in 1974 and served in the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone, West Africa until 1977. Senator Shapleigh graduated from The University of Texas School of Law in 1981 and is the managing partner of the Shapleigh Law Firm, PC. He is deeply committed to both the El Paso community and his family. He has been married to Lee Shapleigh, assistant county attorney for El Paso County, for over 20 years and is the proud father of Zoe and Ben. Senator Shapleigh has lived and traveled extensively in Mexico and is fluent in Spanish.

Senator Shapleigh just completed his fifth session as a legislator. For the 79th Legislative Session, Shapleigh was appointed to the Finance Committee as well as being named chairman of the subcommittee on BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure). He was also appointed to the International Relations and Trade Committee; the Transportation and Homeland Security Committee; and the Veteran Affairs and Military Installations Committee.

Throughout his first four sessions, Shapleigh received numerous honors for his work on educational and health issues. Upon completion of the 78th Legislative session, Shapleigh was selected as one of the top legislators by the Classroom Teachers Association. After the 77th Legislative session, he was named the Texas Legislator of the Year by the Mexican American Bar Association. Others who have honored Shapleigh for his work include the Hispanic Journal, the Texas Chapter of the Sierra Club and the AARP.

During his five sessions, he has authored or sponsored more than 450 bills, with particular focus on education, economic development, infrastructure, technology and health care.

Senator Shapleigh is dedicated to increasing equity in state funding, ensuring fairness in state taxation, expanding educational opportunities for minority and low-income students and developing community solutions for health, safety and environmental issues. As an advocate for El Paso and other border communities, he is also interested in raising per capita income and boosting economic prosperity along the Texas Border.

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