You probably recognize him by the walking cane or the sharp, booming voice that echoes through the House chamber. Maybe you saw the headlines when he was escorted out of the 2025 State of the Union address. Honestly, Al Green is a bit of a lightning rod in D.C., but if you only know him from the 30-second clips on cable news, you're missing about 90% of the story.
He isn't just "the impeachment guy."
Sure, Congressman Al Green made history (and plenty of enemies) by being the first to force a vote on articles of impeachment against Donald Trump long before it was mainstream within his party. But that's just the surface level.
To really get what makes him tick, you have to look at the guy who grew up in the segregated South, a kid from New Orleans whose parents—a maid and a mechanic’s helper—pushed him toward an education he didn't even technically finish the traditional way.
The Law Student Who Skipped a Step
Here is a wild bit of trivia: Al Green doesn't have an undergraduate degree.
He attended Florida A&M, Howard, and Tuskegee, but he jumped straight into the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University. He earned his J.D. in 1974 and basically never looked back.
✨ Don't miss: Donald Trump and Pope Leo: The Surprising Clash of Two Powerful Americans
He spent 26 years as a Justice of the Peace in Harris County. Imagine that. Nearly three decades of seeing the "small" problems—evictions, minor disputes, local heartbreaks. That shapes a person. It’s why, when he got to Congress in 2005, he didn't just chase the "sexy" committees. He went for Financial Services and Homeland Security.
Why? Because that’s where the money for housing lives.
Why the 2026 Primary is a Total Mess
If you follow Texas politics, you know things just got weird. Thanks to some aggressive mid-cycle redistricting in late 2025, Green’s world has been flipped upside down.
Republican lawmakers redrew the maps, and suddenly, about 75% of Green's current 9th District—including his own house—was dumped into the 18th District. This is the seat formerly held by his longtime friend and colleague, the late Sheila Jackson Lee.
So, what did he do? He didn't retire.
At 78 years old, Green is jumping into the 18th District race for the March 2026 primary. He’s essentially following his voters into a new "home." It’s a gutsy move, especially with younger candidates like Erica Lee Carter and others in the mix.
"You know what I have done, you know what I will do," Green told reporters recently. He’s betting that two decades of seniority is more valuable than a fresh face.
More Than Just Impeachment
Let’s talk about his actual legislative record, because "Dem Rep Al Green" is usually a search term associated with protests, but his desk is covered in boring (but vital) policy stuff.
- The Homes for Heroes Act: This was one of his early wins. It basically forced HUD to actually pay attention to homeless veterans.
- Discrimination in Lending: Just this week (January 14, 2026), he was back at it, reintroducing the Preemption of Real Property Discrimination Act with Judy Chu.
- Small Business Cash: He was a huge driver behind the $10 billion State Small Business Credit Initiative in the American Rescue Plan.
He’s obsessed with what he calls "America's seminal sin." Whether it's the Slavery Remembrance Day resolution or trying to get a white supremacist’s name off a Senate office building, he views his job as a literal continuation of the 1960s civil rights movement.
He’s the guy who left a hospital bed in a wheelchair in 2024 just to cast a vote against impeaching Alejandro Mayorkas. He literally showed up in hospital scrubs. That’s the level of "don't quit" we’re talking about.
The "Unbought and Unbossed" Reality
Green calls himself a "liberated Democrat." Translation: he doesn't always wait for permission from party leadership. This has made him a hero to some and a headache for others.
📖 Related: The LA Fires: What Most People Get Wrong About California's New Reality
When he stood up in the House well in late 2025 to sing "We Shall Overcome" after a heated vote, he wasn't doing it for the cameras. He was doing it because, to him, the floor of Congress is just a bigger version of the courtrooms he sat in back in the 70s.
Some critics say he’s too focused on symbolic gestures. They argue that his constant push for impeachment—even now in 2025 and 2026—is a distraction. But his supporters see it differently. They see a guy who refuses to let the "norm" become the "acceptable."
What to Watch For Next
As we head into the 2026 primary season, the big question isn't just if Al Green can win a new district, but whether his brand of "righteous resistance" still resonates with a younger generation of Houston voters.
If you want to track his impact, don't just look at the news cycle. Watch the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. As the Ranking Member, he’s the one digging into how banks treat people in minority neighborhoods.
Actionable Insights for Following Al Green’s Career:
- Check the 18th District Polling: With the March 2026 primary approaching, keep an eye on how his name recognition in the old 9th District carries over to the "new" 18th.
- Monitor the Housing Bills: Green is currently pushing H.R. 7053. If you care about property rights and preventing discriminatory land laws, this is the specific piece of legislation to track on Congress.gov.
- Watch the Committee Hearings: Unlike the floor speeches, the Financial Services committee hearings are where he actually grills bank CEOs. That’s where the real policy work happens.
He might be 78, and he might have been kicked out of the chamber a few times, but Al Green isn't slowing down. Whether you love his tactics or hate them, he’s one of the few people in Washington who actually does exactly what he says he’s going to do.