Abbie Kamin

Abbie Kamin
Member of the Houston City Council
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 2, 2020
Preceded byEllen Cohen
ConstituencyDistrict C
Personal details
PartyDemocratic
EducationTulane University
OccupationCivil rights attorney

Abbie Kamin is an American politician and civil rights attorney who represents District C on the Houston City Council in Houston, Texas. She was first elected in 2019, and re-elected in 2023.

Early life and education

Kamin was born in Houston; her grandparents owned a small business in the area, and her father is also a small business owner. She attended The Emery/Weiner School in Houston and studied at Tulane University. She earned a J.D. degree and practiced law with a focus on general civil litigation and civil rights litigation.

Kamin served as associate regional director of the Anti-Defamation League’s Southwest Regional Office, where she oversaw civil rights programming and community partnerships.

Kamin served on the Mayor’s Commission Against Gun Violence prior to joining the city council, contributing to recommendations on gun-violence prevention.

Houston City Council

Kamin ran for the open District C seat on the Houston City Council in the 2019 municipal elections. She advanced from the November 5, 2019 general election to a runoff and defeated Shelley Kennedy in the December 14, 2019 runoff with 59.4% of the vote, taking office on January 2, 2020. District C covers parts of central and west Houston, including areas such as the Heights, Montrose, Meyerland and Greenway/Upper Kirby. She was re-elected in the November 7, 2023 general election, receiving about 73% of the vote against two challengers.

She was a prominent advocate for establishing a paid parental leave policy for eligible city employees.

County attorney bid

In December 2025, Kamin filed to run for Harris County attorney, triggering Texas' resign-to-run law and prompting her to resign from the Houston City Council District C seat.

Electoral history

Houston City Council District C election, 2019 (runoff)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nonpartisan Abbie Kamin 19,552 59.4
Nonpartisan Shelley Kennedy 13,364 40.6
Houston City Council District C election, 2023
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nonpartisan Abbie Kamin 27,682 73.2
Nonpartisan Felix Cisneros 5,163 13.7
Nonpartisan Perata Bradley 4,961 13.1

Personal life

Kamin was born and raised in Houston, Texas. She is married and has one child. She is Jewish.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "District C: About the Council Member". Houston City Council. City of Houston. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 "Abbie Kamin". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  3. ↑ "Houston City Council District C". Houston City Council. City of Houston. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  4. ↑ "Incumbent Abbie Kamin retains seat for Houston City Council District C". Community Impact. 7 November 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  5. ↑ "Houston Women's Commission Releases Six-Month Report; Recommendation for Paid Parental Leave Will Move Forward". City of Houston. 21 June 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  6. ↑ "Prof's contribution to Houston Women's Commission results in big gains for paid family leave". University of Houston–Clear Lake News. 14 April 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  7. ↑ Lomax, John (5 December 2025). "Exclusive: Houston Council Member Abbie Kamin to resign, run for Harris County attorney". Houston Chronicle. Houston, Texas. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  8. ↑ Rodriguez, Barbara (21 April 2021). "How Houston's first pregnant city council member is using her power to enact change". The 19th. Retrieved 23 November 2025.
  9. ↑ Rodriguez, Barbara (April 22, 2021). "How Houston's first pregnant city council member is using her power to enact change". The 19th. Retrieved April 7, 2026.