Our Dem choices for Texas House
Early voting for the Democratic and Republican primary elections is almost upon us. While voter turnout is always higher in the November general election, many races will be decided in party primaries. Here are our recommendations in contested Democratic races for the Texas House. We are offering recommendations in Republican House races in a separate editorial.
District 118
Democrats are optimistic they can flip this South Side seat held by Republican Rep. John Lujan.
Democratic voters have two solid options in Kristian Carranza and Carlos Quezada.
Our recommendation goes to Carranza, who, at 33, has built an impressive résumé of political engagement and activism.
She was district aide for state Rep. Abel Herrero, digital and regional coordinator for Battleground Texas, regional field director for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential bid, field director for Gina Ortiz Jones’ 2018 congressional campaign and Nevada state director for Julián Castro’s 2020 presidential run. She also worked for the Democratic National Committee.
Carranza grew up on the South Side, raised by a single mother who faced medical problems but lacked health insurance. She has pledged to search for a bipartisan path for Texas to expand Medicaid.
Carranza’s coalition-building skills, organizational abilities and strong messaging make her a promising candidate.
Quezada has a background as a Harlandale Independent School District trustee and 289th Juvenile District Court judge. He would be an advocate for public education. But he attracted embarrassing publicity during his judicial tenure by appearing in his judge’s robe in a silly campaign video in which two parties argue over a pair of underwear.
Carranza’s coalition-building skills, organizational abilities and strong messaging make her a promising candidate.
District 119
State Rep. Liz Campos joined the Legislature in 2021, but she was no ordinary rookie. Campos, 54, was chief of staff for former state Sen. Carlos Uresti during his first three years in office while simultaneously running his San Antonio law office.
She was named 2021 Freshman of the Year by the Texas Legislative Study Group Caucus.
During last year’s session, Campos authored or co-authored 110 bills. Six were signed into law. She is focused on the needs of seniors and homeless people, and she is an advocate for greater mental health resources.
She passed legislation to protect nursing home residents from confiscation or
misappropriation of Medicaid payments and worked with U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar after Winter Storm Uri to get federal funding for generator repairs at two public housing facilities for seniors.
Her challenger, Charles Fuentes, 32, has worked for nine years as the legislative director for the Communication Workers of America. He is an advocate for policies focused on worker rights, including San Antonio’s paid sick leave ordinance.
Campos has been an effective representative, and we recommend her.
District 121
Two first-time candidates are hoping to break through in this Republican stronghold that includes Terrell Hills, Alamo Heights, Olmos Park, and parts of North and Central San Antonio. Republican Steve Allison represents the district.
San Antonio native Laurel Jordan Swift, 55, is a mother of five who works in medical sales. Shekhar Sinha, 70, is an immigrant from India who holds a master’s degree in math and computer science from Penn State. He worked for three decades in the IT industry before retiring.
Swift credits Allison for his civility, opposition of school vouchers and vote to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton. But she argues that on issues such as abortion, gun reform and the handling of the Texas border, he is intransigent.
Swift and Sinha say they’ll fight to expand Medicaid and enhance public education funding.
Both candidates impressed. For her passion and enthusiasm, we recommend Swift.
District 125 Ray
We again recommend state Rep. Lopez. He has held this seat since winning a special election in 2019 to replace Justin Rodriguez, who was appointed to Bexar County Commissioners Court.
A veteran, retired AT&T executive, former Northside Independent School District trustee and four-term San Antonio councilman, Lopez understands government and how to serve the community.
He faces attorney Eric Michael Garza, who also ran for this seat in 2022. Garza has said he would be a more vocal progressive than Lopez, but that does not mean he would be more effective.
There is no reason for a change.