Texas Republican Representative Wesley Hunt, who has publicly opposed diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives during his tenure, has also played a role in integrating divisive racial and gender policies into health centers across Texas.
Hunt served on the board of the Harris Center for Mental Health and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities from January 2019 to March 2021. During his term, he voted multiple times in favor of contracts and funding for groups that promote DEI and gender-focused ideologies, even endorsing the hiring of “queer and disabled Latinx people.” Notably, the diversion program he oversaw at the center collaborated with prosecutors backed by George Soros to release criminal suspects with minimal oversight, a practice that often resulted in repeat offenses.
Documentation indicates that Hunt was present during a meeting where a lucrative contract with an organization endorsing leftist ideology was approved unanimously. In October 2019, Justice System Partners (JSP) was awarded a $151,000 contract to evaluate the Harris Center’s prison diversion program. JSP has argued that “structural racism” permeates both society and the criminal legal system and that various intersecting factors lead to systemic inequalities in justice outcomes.
In 2017, JSP advocated for the elimination of cash bail for “defendants charged with serious but non-violent crimes,” stating it was a matter of individual rights and freedoms. Between the fiscal years of 2020 and 2021, the Harris Center paid JSP $130,000 for consultation services. Throughout this partnership, JSP worked with the Harris Center to promote “fairer alternatives to incarceration” specifically for certain racial or ethnic groups.
Looking ahead to 2023, JSP plans to continue its advocacy with a framework titled “Fairness through Action,” which calls for restructured decision-making processes and diversifying decision-makers to enhance fairness within outcomes.
A spokesperson for Hunt’s campaign noted that during his brief time on the board, he was one of the few dissenting voices, pushing back against what they referred to as the “ideological insanity” of the left. They emphasized that Hunt did not endorse these initiatives but flagged them as cautionary signals.
Hunt has been vocal in his criticism of DEI policies, labeling them as discriminatory and advocating for a merit-based focus instead. In 2024, the University of Texas suggested dismantling its DEI department, attributed to a rise in anti-Semitism and threats to free speech.
In another board meeting in 2019, Hunt did not participate in the approval of a $40,000 extension for the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Greater Houston (NAMI) to conduct training for the prison diversion program. NAMI’s legislative reviews frequently reference terms like “racial injustice” and “inclusive care,” emphasizing the importance of addressing inequalities affecting diverse communities.
In 2020, Hunt attended a vote where NAMI received nearly $90,000 for a contract renewal. Soon after, NAMI promoted resources aimed at combating “racism” and described the phrase “All Lives Matter” as highly problematic. By May 2020, NAMI classified racism as a “public health crisis.”
The organization actively champions the need for equitable mental health services for various marginalized groups, including LGBTQ+ individuals and children in foster care. In 2020, a contract was passed to add Gabriel Cazares to the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Public Advisory Council; he was the director of the Mayor’s Office for Persons with Disabilities at the time.
Cazares is known for promoting initiatives focused on intersectional justice, pushing for a more inclusive approach within various sectors. Before Hunt’s board tenure, the center teamed up with an organization associated with Soros to implement a prison diversion program, enabling over 6,000 individuals to avoid incarceration.
While Hunt has criticized DEI publicly, he was notably absent for a significant number of board votes, missing over 70% of meetings during his time on the board. His absence from Congress has also attracted attention, as he had one of the lowest attendance rates among Republicans in 2025.
At another 2019 meeting he did not attend, the board initiated a cultural competency and diversity plan aimed at integrating cultural considerations across all services and policies. This plan outlined various training goals for staff regarding identity issues.
The Harris Center has detailed its D&I strategies in its budgets, aiming to attract diverse candidates and measure D&I effectiveness. External stakeholders like Montrose Counseling, which focuses on LGBTQ+ services, were also cited as partners in these initiatives.
As Hunt navigates his political career—having won a seat in the Texas Congressional District 38 in 2023 and gearing up for reelection in 2024—his past involvement and present discourse surrounding DEI policies continue to shape public perception.
