U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, was honored with the 2022 Texan of the Year award by the Texas Legislative Conference, a statewide business and policy forum, on Dec. 21.
Brady, who accepted the honor virtually, spoke about his career in the House of Representatives and reaffirmed his faith in elected officials.
“I’m pretty optimistic about the problems Congress can solve,” Brady said. “There are a lot of members of Congress who get up every day ... who don’t always have a spotlight on them. If you could see them and see how they work together, you’d have a greater confidence in the institution.”
Brady announced his retirement from the House on April 14 at the Economic Outlook Conference in The Woodlands. First elected in 1996, he served 13 terms in the House, including as the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee.
Brady's 8th Congressional District included all of Montgomery County as well as portions of Walker, Houston, San Jacinto and several surrounding counties. Prior to his work in the House, Brady ran The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce.
Following 2021 redistricting in Texas, southern parts of Brady’s district including The Woodlands will be represented by the 2nd Congressional District, held by Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Houston. Crenshaw said serving alongside Brady was a “privilege.”
“Congressman Brady is a friend and it’s been a privilege to serve alongside him during my brief time in Congress,” Crenshaw told Community Impact Newspaper. “While we represented different districts, I believe the interests of our constituents—as with most Texans—are the same.”
Andrew Christman contributed to this report.
