Opal Lee, Fort Worth’s ‘Grandmother of Juneteenth,’ featured in campaign ad
Fort Worth’s own Opal Lee stars in a new digital ad for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke.
“Opal Lee represents the very best of us in Texas,” O’Rourke said in the ad, which was released early Tuesday.
The 30-second ad hits on Lee’s push to get Juneteenth federally recognized as a holiday after walking 1,400 miles to Washington. Lee’s work landed her a Nobel Peace Prize nomination this year, though it ultimately went to human rights advocate Ales Bialiatski from Belarus.
“It is because of people like Opal Lee that we’re going to make sure that we get this state back on the right track,” O’Rourke said.
Lee, 95, has been a fixture at many of O’Rourke’s events in Fort Worth in his run for governor. O’Rourke has hit the city 13 times since he announced his candidacy against Republican incumbent Greg Abbott. O’Rourke also participated in Lee’s annual Walk for Freedom this past June.
The digital ad will run statewide through Election Day on Nov. 8, a representative for the campaign said Tuesday morning. Early voting runs through Nov. 4.
This story was originally published November 1, 2022 at 1:44 PM.
