Matthew Gaines, a senator from the 16th District and one of Mullens’s colleagues in the Texas Legislature, advocated for public schooling and agricultural opportunities for Texans. Gaines, formerly enslaved in Texas, also advocated for the rights of freed people, particularly through his support of the Morrill Act (1862), which provided land and funding for agricultural and mechanical colleges, like Texas A&M University. He also sought to protect voting rights and backed prison reform efforts.