Salman Bhojani

Salman Bhojani was born in Pakistan and lives in Euless, Texas. Bhojani earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2003 and a law degree from Southern Methodist University in 2013. His career experience includes working as an attorney and a business owner.[1] Bhojani has also served on the Euless City Council.[2][3]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Salman Bhojani. I was born in Pakistan to a large family. I immigrated to Texas as a teenager. I worked three minimum wage jobs to help support my family–climbing the ladder from convenience store cashier to successful business owner, attorney, Euless City Councilman, and Mayor Pro Tem. After becoming a naturalized citizen, I earned degrees from the University of Texas at Dallas, Southern Methodist University, and Oxford University.

After finding a home in Euless with my family, I made national headlines when I was elected to the Euless City Council, becoming the first person of color to hold elected office in Euless. In 2023, I was sworn in as one of the first Muslims and the first South Asian to serve in the Texas Legislature, and I am the first person of color ever elected to represent House District 92.

I currently serve as the Vice Chair on the Delivery of Government Efficiency Committee. I am also a member of the Trade, Workforce, and Economic Development Committee and serve on the Workforce Subcommittee.

I am proud to call Texas home. I live in Euless with my wife, Nima, and our children, Aarish and Raisha.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I understand that when we give opportunities to every Texan, our state is stronger and our future is more secure.As a State Representative, I will continue to fight for our community because everyone deserves the opportunity to live the American dream.I fight for every Texan to have the right to live and worship according to their conscience, free from fear, harassment, or government favoritism.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Education

Religious Freedom

Small Business & Economic Development

Property Tax

AI & Technology

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

TEXPAC

Texas State Association of Fire Fighters

Texas Coalition of Black Democrats

TXBIZ PAC

AFT

Texas College Democrats

NFIB

Hammer & Nails Pac

AYCA

Democrats with Disabilities

Muslim Democratic Caucus of Texas

Texas AFL-CIO

Freethought Equality Fund PAC

Wendy Davis • Candace Valenzuela • Mayor Jim Ross • Tracy Scott

Chairman Rafael Anchía • Rep. Ana-Maria Ramos • Rep. Alex Dominguez

Rep. James Talarico • Mayor Curtis Cornelious • Constable Ed Wright

Mayor Pro Tem Paul Meltzer • Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Brandon Jones

Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Mike Del Bosque • Chair Carroll Robinson

Clerk Felicia Pitre • Councilman Harry Zimmer • Councilwoman Vicki Byrd

Councilwoman Alison Maguire • Councilwoman Deb Armintor

Councilman Jamell Johnson

Salman Bhojani did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was born in Pakistan and came to this country when I was 19 years old. I started out supporting my family by working at gas stations for minimum wage. I became a naturalized U.S. citizen, earned a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Texas at Dallas, and owned my own convenience stores. I went on to earn a law degree from Southern Methodist University. I worked at the Dallas office of international law firm Haynes and Boone LLP before founding my own firm. In 2018, in a campaign that made national headlines, I became the first minority City Council Member in Euless history. I was chosen to serve as Mayor Pro Tem of Euless during the last year of my City Council term.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Our district deserves experienced, forward-thinking leadership that can fight for our rights and needs in Austin. I came to Texas as a 19 year old immigrant, and worked my way up from three minimum wage gas station jobs to owning my own store to becoming an attorney, and, finally, the first person of color elected to Euless City Council. My story is the American Dream we hear so much about, but a story that has become out of reach for too many Texans and residents of HD-92. This is one of the most diverse districts in the state, and we deserve representation that reflects this fact, and honors it with pride.I am someone who has lived through years as a paycheck-to-paycheck, minimum wage worker, working three jobs at a time during young adult life. I was able to climb out of that situation with the help of a supportive community and family, but many Texans find themselves unable to attain the American Dream we are taught to seek. I will be a fighter for the underserved and marginalized, and I will ensure they have a leader in their corner in the state legislature.As a member of Euless City Council, I led our membership towards the completion of many forward-thinking initiatives during difficult times. From COVID hazard pay for our fire department, to community outreach efforts within hard-to-reach groups, to emergency measurers to protect Euless residents during Winter Storm Uri; I have been a proud leader during some of our city's most challenging scenarios and circumstances, and I am ready to take that experience to the state legislature.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

My top priorities include Medicaid expansion, protected reproductive rights, and increased funding for our public education system. We need to reverse the uninsured and underinsured trend in our state, and give quality healthcare to hundreds of thousands of Texans. We need to protect the right to choose for all Texans, and repeal the draconian anti-choice laws passed in the past special sessions. We need a fully-funded public education system that gives a quality, robust education to all Texans, regardless of their income level or zip code.

In addition to the above three issues, I view protecting the right to vote, fixing the grid & holding ERCOT accountable, a minimum wage increase, and continued job growth for our district as equally as important.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Governor Ann Richards helped pave the way for many progressive, consensus-minded politicians and leaders to come after her. She led the way for women's rights in Texas, and inspired generations of young women to become civically and politically engaged. Governor Richards remains one of our state's greatest leaders, and one of my personal heroes.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

We need leadership in Austin that isn’t afraid of the present and the future, that doesn’t run from the rich diversity that is increasingly defining our state. When we give opportunities to every Texan, our state is stronger and our future is more secure.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Our district deserves experienced, forward-thinking leadership that can fight for our rights and needs in Austin. I came to Texas as a 19 year old immigrant, and worked my way up from three minimum wage gas station jobs to owning my own store to becoming an attorney, and, finally, the first person of color elected to Euless City Council. My story is the American Dream we hear so much about, but a story that has become out of reach for too many Texans and residents of HD-92. This is one of the most diverse districts in the state, and we deserve representation that reflects this fact, and honors it with pride.

We need an advocate for our district's unique needs, and I will fight for better funded education, job growth, reproductive rights, voting rights, and Medicaid expansion, so that everyone in HD-92 can achieve their personal American Dream.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Born in Pakistan to a large family, Salman lived in Canada for a time before settling in the Lone Star State. Salman started out supporting his family by working at gas stations for minimum wage. He saved what he could because he had a long-term plan. A few years into his American story, Salman had become a naturalized U.S. citizen, earned a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Texas at Dallas, and owned his own convenience stores. He went on to earn a law degree from Southern Methodist University and a Comparative Law Diploma from Oxford University. Salman worked at the Dallas office of international law firm Haynes and Boone LLP before founding his own firm.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

After knocking on hundreds of doors and talking with thousands of voters in our district, the number one concern I'm hearing is the lack of good paying jobs in our communities. I will be a firm supporter of continued and extensive job growth in our district, and I will work in my capacity as a state representative to incentivize the growth of minority-owned businesses, union jobs, and other good-paying employers in our district. We need to make our state and district an attractive area for companies, and we accomplish that by avoiding far-right culture war issues, providing quality school districts for the families of employees, and pushing for consistent, consensus-minded leadership in our state capitol.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Absolutely. I have had the distinct honor of already serving many HD-92 residents as an Euless City Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem. My experiences on council have shaped me for the job ahead of us, and I am uniquely fit to hit the ground running on day one. As the only Democrat on the seven-member council, I was able to build consensus for numerous commonsense solutions and initiatives for my constituents, which is a trait that will be key to passing legislation in our Republican-controlled legislature.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

I firmly believe that consensus-building and compromise are key to passing quality legislation that benefits the majority of Texans. We need more representatives who don't see "consensus" as a dirty word, but as a way to build bridges , and address the multitude of different needs for our great, diverse state. Unfortunately, the current leadership of the Republican Party has shifted closer and closer to the fringe with each proceeding day. We need leadership focused on kitchen table issues, schools, and job creation, not culture war issues and talking points that only serve to rally their partisan base.