Although she became a household name immediately after staging an 11-hour filibuster over abortion rights, Texas state senator Wendy Davis insists she climbed a long political ladder to get to where she is today.
“I’m not an overnight sensation. I'm a Texan. And I'm a Texas success story,” the state Democratic gubernatorial candidate said in an exclusive interview with TODAY's Maria Shriver. "I am the epitome of hard work and optimism."
In her discussion, which will air Wednesday, Davis describes growing up poor, getting pregnant at 18 and getting divorced a year later. She also speaks about working two jobs at the same time to support her family.
The discussion is part of a weeklong #DoingItAll series of stories in which Shriver highlights the personal and financial challenges many women in America face.