Back in 2013, you may remember Texas Senator Wendy Davis filibustering against an, at the time, particularly draconian abortion bill. It got national news coverage, because Davis was successful in defeating the measure as the minutes ticked down so a vote could not be called, even though then Lite Gov David Dewhurst did his best to cheat the system.

As a result, Governor Rick Perry called a special session to force the bill through. And those of us that had spent many late nights in the pink marble cold facade of the people’s voice, were once again trekking from all points around the state to speak out against SB1, as it became known that Special Session.

I had an idea to record the voices throughout the night from the Texas Lege’s own stream. I was hoping to compile them, maybe talk to the women after the fact. It was a big dream that I never really gave a chance to form, but that frozen dream was why I was recording the live feed, when all of a sudden Sarah Slamen was fighting with Jane Nelson, currently our Secretary of State and then, Chairwoman of the Senate Committee.  I guess it pays to be a gender traitor in the Republican Party.

Not only did they engage in a verbal sparring match during her time to speak, Nelson had Slamen detained by uniformed officers from the Texas Capitol Police. And, because I was recording the stream as it happened, I had the whole thing on video.

I immediately stopped recording, trimmed the video and uploaded it to YouTube:

That video has garnered over seven hundred thousand views (not including the videos that were ripped from the one I uploaded) and helped platform Slamen into the news media, especially on MSNBC, specifically to talk about the abortion ban.

While I don’t think it was Slamen’t ultimate goal to be detained or to appear on news broadcasts – she was just as surprised that someone had a copy of the live stream as anyone – she was arguably spoiling for a fight and for just reason.

So, I recognize the example Martin was trying to follow in the first Redistricting Committee Hearing for the Texas Lege’s Special Session – a Special Session that is supposed to be about six legislative priorities and resolving critical disaster warning issues, as well as providing support to the families of those that died during the July 4th floods, instead of illegally redrawing our Congressional lines to force Dems out of their seats.

There are stark differences between the two, though.

While Slamen was argumentative with the committee, this was a time before cell phones were widely used to capture public events like this and Slamen was interrupted during her two-minute allotted time by Senator Nelson. Everything people are using against the House Committee in defense of Martin, actually happened to Slamen.

In contrast, Martin was allowed to finish his public comments.  He, too, was spoiling for a fight, but he knew cameras were on him – and if someone wasn’t able to pull the footage from the live stream, they would definitely get it from the multiple people sitting in the room.  In all likelihood, his own campaign staff or volunteers were likely recording that footage specifically for his campaign ads.

The problem came about when the Republican House Committee Members did not take the bait. Because just like Nelson didn’t expect the cameras in 2013, Republicans expect them in 2025. As Martin kept speaking and kept getting warned that he was over his allotted time with little to no fanfare or reaction. And he kept going, for about a minute, he retained a floor that wasn’t his to retain, it was the next speaker’s opportunity to speak.

Still, a minute on, he didn’t receive the reaction he was hoping to provoke.  Even once he did, he used his body to push against the Texas Capitol Police who were hoping to lead him from the room, likely to prevent a media storm. Inevitably, this pushing between the three parties, ended up with Martin being body slammed to the ground. This is the visual that people are responding to, without understanding the context.

However, it is standard operating procedure for citizens testifying in front of a committee to be given two minutes and only two minutes to make a statement. This wasn’t a hearing with a back and forth fact finding session.  This was a man demanding more than his allotted time to speak and preventing others from having their voice heard.

So, while I feel the Texas Capitol Police were excessive in the body slam, I do agree that he should have been removed from the committee because he was grandstanding.

What Martin was hoping for was a viral social media moment that catapulted to the national news media, just like Slamen. The only difference is, he wasn’t doing it for Texas, but because he’s running in a hotly contested special election for TX-18, the district vacated due to Representative Sylvester Turner’s death, a seat which he has specifically called “his,” even though there are four other contenders, all elected officials, polling ahead of him.

That national news spotlight is gold – it invigorates campaigns and can skyrocket a candidate’s fundraising capabilities, which in turn increases their name recognition and viability.

Competitive primaries strengthen the party – even if they come in the form of special elections where no primary is taking place, so Martin staying in and fighting in this election has merit. Though, ultimately, tonight’s actions give us insight into a person that cares more about their own ego and campaign, than serving the needs of the people of TX-18, and Texans, overall.

Martin likes to evoke Sheila Jackson Lee.  The open joke around Houston is that you never wanted to get between Sheila Jackson Lee and a microphone, but she wielded that power and that microphone for the good of her district and the good of all Texans. Here, it looks like he was looking to cause a scene to further his own political power.

There are times you can get away with stunts like this in professional politics, but you need to read the room. Our state is under siege – Abbott and Trump want Texas to build a how-to playbook for other red states to gerrymander districts of their own, as we consistently do for unpopular laws. This is not the time for political stunts for one person’s campaign, but the time to grow together and fight collectively.

The greater question after tonight’s stunt is: Yes, Texas needs fighters, but how can we trust Martin as a Congressional Representative to fight for Texans if it means he puts his own ambition over the people he’s supposed to serve?