{{Short description|American politician (born 1965)}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Borris L. Miles | honorific_suffix = | image = Borris Miles (Texas state senator) at Massachusetts State House on Aug. 5, 2025, amid Texas walkout over redistricting.jpg | caption = Miles in 2025 | alt = | state_senate = Texas | district = 13th | term_start = January 10, 2017 | term_end = | predecessor = Rodney Ellis | successor = | prior_term = | state_house2 = Texas | state = Texas | district2 = 146th | term_start2 = January 11, 2011 | term_end2 = January 10, 2017 | preceded2 = Al Edwards | succeeded2 = Shawn Thierry | term_start3 = January 9, 2007 | term_end3 = January 13, 2009 | preceded3 = Al Edwards | succeeded3 = Al Edwards | party = Democratic | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|10|29}} | birth_place = Sunnyside, Houston, Texas, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = Cydonii Fairfax Miles | alma_mater = Sam Houston State University (BS) | occupation = {{flatlist| * Insurance broker * politician}} | signature = Borris Miles Signature.png | website = [https://senate.texas.gov/member.php?d=13 Official website] }}
'''Borris L. Miles''' (born October 29, 1965), is a Democratic politician from Texas. He has represented District 13 in the Texas Senate since winning election in November 2016. He is a former member of the Texas House of Representatives, where he represented District 146, which encompasses parts of Harris County, Texas, including Sunnyside, Houston, and Third Ward, Houston.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/fyiwebdocs/PDF/house/dist146/m1.pdf|title=House District 146}}</ref>
== Early life and education == Miles grew up in Sunnyside, Houston, where he attended Yates High School. After high school, he received his Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice and criminal science from Sam Houston State University.<ref>{{cite web |date= |title=Texas House of Representatives : Representative Thierry, Shawn |url=https://house.texas.gov/members/member-page/?district=146#member-biography |accessdate=2017-12-07 |publisher=house.texas.gov}}</ref>
== Texas House of Representatives == Miles was first elected to serve as the State Representative for District 146 in November 2006. He was re-elected in November 2010, and was sworn back into the House of Representatives in January 2011 and again in January 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.texastribune.org/2013/01/08/simpson-withdraws-straus-reelected-acclamation/ |title=Simpson Withdraws, Straus Re-elected by Acclamation |publisher=The Texas Tribune |date=2013-01-08 |accessdate=2017-12-07}}</ref> Miles' next term, in the 84th legislative session, began in January 2015.<ref name="texastribune1">{{cite web|url=http://www.texastribune.org/directory/borris-miles/ |title=State Sen. Borris L. Miles |publisher=The Texas Tribune |date= |accessdate=2017-12-07}}</ref>
Miles was named a "Star of the 2011 Legislative Session"<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://wwws.tcta.org/node/12954 |title=Stars of the 2011 Legislative Sessions | Texas Classroom Teachers Association |access-date=2013-01-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304035522/https://wwws.tcta.org/node/12954 |archive-date=2016-03-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref> by the Texas Classroom Teachers Association.
As a member of the Agriculture & Livestock Committee, he authored and passed bills to aid in the advancement of urban farm microenterprises. Miles authored and passed HB 2994,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://legiscan.com/TX/text/HB2994/id/306499 |title=Bill Text: TX HB2994 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Enrolled |publisher=LegiScan |date= |accessdate=2017-12-07}}</ref> a bill designed to provide financial assistance to urban agriculture research facilities, cooperatives, and small agricultural farms and businesses.
In the 83rd Texas Legislative Session, Miles was appointed to the Elections<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/Committees/MembershipCmte.aspx?LegSess=83R&CmteCode=C240 |title=Texas Legislature Online - Committee Membership |publisher=Capitol.state.tx.us |date=2013-01-08 |accessdate=2017-12-07}}</ref> and Licensing & Administrative Procedures<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/Committees/MembershipCmte.aspx?LegSess=83R&CmteCode=C350 |title=Texas Legislature Online - Committee Membership |publisher=Capitol.state.tx.us |date=2013-01-08 |accessdate=2017-12-07}}</ref> committees by Speaker Joe Straus.
==Texas Senate== Miles became a state senator in 2017.
== Personal life == Miles is a resident of Houston, and is married to Cydonni Fairfax Miles. Miles is a member of the Theta Mu chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.<ref name="texastribune1"/>
Miles conceived the Hip Hop 4 HIV program in 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thebeatdfw.com/2006900/hip-hop-for-hiv-2012/ |title=Hip Hop for HIV 2012 | 97.9 the Beat |accessdate=2013-01-25 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004021307/http://thebeatdfw.com/2006900/hip-hop-for-hiv-2012/ |archivedate=2012-10-04 }}</ref> The program was designed to combat the rising AIDS epidemic in the African American and Latino communities. Radio station 97.9 The Box<ref>{{cite web|author=<!-- author name --> KBXX |url=http://theboxhouston.com/1292151/hip-hop-for-hiv-awareness-testing-locations/ |title=HIP HOP 4 HIV Testing Locations | 97.9 The Box |publisher=Theboxhouston.com |date= 8 July 2010|accessdate=2017-12-07}}</ref> and the City of Houston put on a free hip hop concert for those willing to be tested for HIV.
Miles has sickle cell anemia.<ref name=DrawsFire>[http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Freshman-Houston-lawmaker-draws-fire-for-behavior-1590814.php Freshman Houston lawmaker draws fire for behavior], by Allan Turner, in the ''Houston Chronicle''; published February 4, 2008; retrieved December 7, 2017</ref> He is Catholic.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Miles |first=Borris |date=2025-04-06 |title=post |url=https://x.com/BorrisLMiles/status/1912634770179182620 |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=X}}</ref>
== Legal troubles ==
=== Deadly conduct allegations === In April 2008, Miles was indicted on two counts of deadly conduct. The first charge came after Miles allegedly pulled a gun on a Texas Southern University regent and his wife during a Houston Rockets game. The second charge involved a man who pressed charges against Miles after Miles allegedly crashed a party at a hotel, forcibly kissed a woman, and threatened a local businessman while brandishing a weapon. Miles allegedly told the man "You don't know what I'm capable of doing."
In a January 2009 trial, Miles was acquitted on both counts.<ref name="beast">{{cite news|last1=Messer|first1=Olivia|title='You Want to F*ck With Me Tonight?': Horror Stories from the Texas Capitol|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/you-want-to-fck-with-me-tonight-horror-stories-from-the-texas-capitol|accessdate=7 December 2017|publisher=The Daily Beast|date=December 6, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Rogers|first1=Brian|title=Former rep Miles found not guilty of deadly conduct|url=http://www.chron.com/news/article/Former-rep-Miles-found-not-guilty-of-deadly-1735724.php|accessdate=7 December 2017|publisher=Houston Chronicle|date=January 15, 2009}}</ref>
=== Sexual harassment allegations === In December 2017, ''The Daily Beast'' published an article containing numerous sexual harassment allegations against Miles.<ref name="beast" /> After the publication of the article, Democratic State Senator Sylvia Garcia called for an investigation into the allegations.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Silver|first1=Johnathan|title=Houston lawmaker asks for inquiry after more sexual misconduct claims|url=http://www.statesman.com/news/houston-lawmaker-asks-for-inquiry-after-more-sexual-misconduct-claims/Q94roODVrt83HVAMClRaEJ/|accessdate=7 December 2017|publisher=Austin American Statesman|date=December 7, 2017}}</ref> In 2024, Miles was accused of groping a female political consultant in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Downey |first=By Renzo |date=2024-07-12 |title=Texas Sens. Charles Schwertner, Borris Miles silent after new accusations of sexual harassment in report |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2024/07/12/charles-schwertner-borris-miles-texas-monthly-sexual-harassment/ |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=The Texas Tribune |language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== * {{official website|http://www.borrismiles.com}}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-tx-hs}} {{s-bef|before=Al Edwards}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the Texas House of Representatives<br />from the 146th district|years=2007–2009}} {{s-aft|after=Al Edwards}} {{s-bef|before=Al Edwards}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the Texas House of Representatives<br />from the 146th district|years=2011–2017}} {{s-aft|after=Shawn Thierry}} {{s-par|us-tx-sen}} {{s-bef|before=Rodney Ellis}} {{s-ttl|title=Member of the Texas Senate<br />from the 13th district|years=2017–present}} {{s-inc}} {{s-end}}
{{Texas State Senate}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miles, Borris}} Category:1965 births Category:Living people Category:Politicians from Houston Category:Democratic Party members of the Texas House of Representatives Category:Sam Houston State University alumni Category:Democratic Party Texas state senators Category:African-American state legislators in Texas Category:21st-century African-American politicians Category:20th-century African-American politicians Category:21st-century members of the Texas Legislature Category:African-American Catholics