Meet Odus Evbagharu
You will often hear Odus Evbagharu say, “God Save the Queen and God Bless America!” Born in London, England to Nigerian parents, he spent his early schooling years in Indiana before moving to the suburbs of Houston, Texas where he now serves the constituents of the very district where he grew up, including his parents. Professionally, Odus is the Chief of Staff for Jon Rosenthal, District 135, serving the people of Northwest Houston, Cypress, and Jersey Village. Going to work every day is personal and the passion is evident. Becoming a public servant and his involvement in politics came very naturally for Odus. He remembers vividly watching CNN with his dad as early as nine years old and talking about current events over dinner. He chuckles when he thinks about “going to class talking about, like, Arafat, Bill Clinton, and Tony Blair – all these world leaders at the time and all the rest of the kids looked at me like I was crazy.” He embraces the term “political junkie” like a badge of honor but he is also a sports fanatic. “I'm all over the place like you know, basketball, football, baseball, golf, tennis, I'll watch anything that is sports-related. Competition is in my DNA.” Although he watches a lot of Houston sports now, his loyalties lie in other places. His early years in Indiana and WGN introduced him to the Chicago Cubs, and he was fascinated watching players like Todd Hundley and Mark Grace. Kobe Bryant made him fall in love with the Los Angeles Lakers. Tiger Woods sparked his interest in golf. Football, or soccer as Americans call it, was a sport that Odus enjoyed watching growing up and highlights the influence of his London roots.
Odus’s career was deeply impacted by the 2008 Election, a historic election that ushered Barack Obama into the Presidency. He wants his story to provide that sort of hope as well. “It was really important for me and my development because once I realized the stereotypes aren't on me anymore, whether it was to be an entertainer or an athlete, or whatever people deem that black people should be in this society. It's gone when you finally see that representation of the most powerful office in all of the world.” Odus volunteered on several campaigns and became an intern with the Harris County Democratic Party, which led to a job as the Communications Director for HCDP. In 2018, Jon Rosenthal was elected to serve District 135, and Odus was asked to be Chief of Staff, an honor at such a young age. He has the privilege of leading a great team and advocating for issues that affect his District. The people, the struggles of Houstonians, drive Odus every day to not only get out of bed and work but fight for a better future. He believes not being born in this country gives him a unique perspective and possibly gives him the ability to cross barriers that others might struggle to.
As much as Odus enjoys the place he calls home, he loves to hop on a plane and travel a bit. He still has family in London that they get to visit occasionally. If Odus isn’t catching a constituent call during his commute to Austin or traveling around the district, you will find him indulging in several podcasts like Unlocking Us by Brene Brown and the Bodega Boys podcast.
