ABOUT US

Laura Hernandez is a co-founder and partner at Hernandez Wick Campaigns, a full-service political consulting firm based in Austin, Texas. With nearly two decades of experience in Democratic politics, Laura is one of Central Texas’s most accomplished campaign managers and fundraising strategists. She got her start in politics as president of the University Democrats at the University of Texas at Austin, where she graduated with high honors with a degree in political communication studies. She went on to serve as a legislative director in the Texas House, then spent three years as executive director of the Travis County Democratic Party, where her team raised a record-breaking $2 million for the party.

Laura’s career has been defined by an ability to build winning campaigns from the ground up, with a particular strength in fundraising and campaign finance operations. She served as deputy campaign manager on Steve Adler’s first mayoral campaign, helping raise a record $1.16 million for an Austin municipal race, then ran the Mayor’s Better Austin Foundation before returning to campaigns. She went on to manage or co-manage a string of major wins, including the Project Connect transit campaign, the $770 million ACC bond, Greg Casar’s congressional race, and several successful ballot measure campaigns. In 2024, she served as Texas State Director for the Harris-Walz presidential campaign.

Beyond politics, Laura is deeply involved in the Austin community. She serves as co-chair of Women United at United Way for Greater Austin, where she focuses on fighting poverty, addressing housing affordability, and expanding access to childcare in Central Texas. She also serves on the board of Forklift Danceworks. Originally from Houston, Laura grew up in El Paso and has called Austin home since her time at UT. She is married and has four stepchildren.

Jim Wick is a co-founder and partner at Hernandez Wick Campaigns, a full-service political consulting firm based in Austin, Texas. With victories in the vast majority of the more than two dozen campaigns he has worked on, Jim is one of the most effective political operatives in Central Texas. He has been working in professional politics since 2008, when he cut his teeth on Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, organizing in rural Texas during the primary and in Kokomo, Indiana during the general election. He moved to Austin shortly after and quickly became a fixture in the city’s political landscape, racking up victories in races for mayor, city council, district judge, and the Travis County Democratic Party’s coordinated campaign.

Jim’s career took a significant turn when he managed Steve Adler’s successful campaign for Austin mayor in 2014. He followed Adler into City Hall, serving as communications director and later director of council affairs. During that time, he took a leave to manage the winning $720 million Proposition 1 transportation bond campaign before returning to city government, and eventually left to run Adler’s successful re-election.

After the re-election, Jim launched an independent consulting practice with a focus on the intersection of civics, policy, and political strategy. He founded MoveATX, an organization working with PeopleForBikes to advance bike and pedestrian infrastructure in Austin — work that culminated in the winning $460 million Proposition B in 2020. He also consulted on the successful Project Connect campaign. Jim then co-founded JTX Strategies, a strategic consulting firm serving a range of clients including elected officials, nonprofits, businesses, and candidates, which he operated with a partner through the end of 2025. He went on to build an extensive track record across ballot measures, council races, and congressional campaigns, including victories for Greg Casar’s congressional bid, ACC and affordable housing bonds, and five of six races in the 2024 cycle.

Jim holds a degree in English creative writing from the University of New Mexico. He completed the Texas Water Safari in 2015, enjoys golfing, hiking, and traveling, and is married with a son. Originally from Dallas, he has called South Austin home for nearly two decades.