I am requesting HCYD’s endorsement because your organization comprises leaders organized to ensure greater impact through numbers on activities ranging from electing the best Democrats to addressing relevant issues at local, state & national levels. Although often referred to as “future leaders,” I understand from experience that you are leaders NOW & will be even better in years to come. My insight into your importance & effectiveness is based not only on my working with Young Dems from before my election through my current reelection, but also on my experience growing-up as a local Democratic volunteer since age 5; former Webb County Democratic Party Secretary; SDEC woman for SD 21; Vice Chair of the Texas Democratic Party; DNC member; and delegate to state & national conventions. Young Dems matter. You make a difference. That is why I respectfully request your endorsement & invite you to participate in my re-election campaign—and in the state government process afterward.

As the first Mexican American woman Texas state senator & first woman Dean of the Texas Senate, my experience, record, education, effectiveness, character & potential prepared me for re-election. My work ethic & effectiveness are reflected in my 100 percent voting record, having cast 76,000+ consecutive votes in the Senate (a state & national record); my passing 1,500+ bills, more than any legislator in the history of our state; and, as a Democrat, being the highest bill-passer for 6 consecutive sessions in a Republican-dominated legislature.

Self-supporting since 17, married at 18, and earning BS, MA, & PhD degrees from UT-Austin without financial aid (but with a loan) & while holding up to 3 part-time jobs, I prioritize the accessibility & affordability of excellent higher educational opportunities.

A former teacher with 13 years of teaching experience, small businessowner, award-winning communication specialist, wife, mother & grandmother, my communication & teaching skills are particular assets in Senate debates—& having taught 7th-grade boys with disciplinary problems helps.

As a Texan of Mexican, Spanish, Sephardic Jew & Greek descent (with an Italian surname), I have the experience & character to succeed as an underdog, excel when underestimated & prevail against the odds. Known for my characteristics of hard work, honesty, integrity, fairness, compassion & listening, I believe in representative government. That means I vote based on the needs & interests of the families of SD 21, not my personal agenda or interests.

Working in the Texas Senate (at the age of 21 & lobbying legislators (at the age of 22) for then-controversial community centers for persons with mental & intellectual disabilities afforded me insight into the protocol, rules, policies & traditions of senators. This empowered me to hit the ground running as a freshman. Today I am in the best position to continue to make a significant difference for the families I represent.

My top three priorities have been the same since I first ran: education in general, with a focus on early and higher education; health and human services in general, with a focus on the very young, the very old, the very poor, persons with disabilities and veterans; and responding effectively to the evolving needs, interests and priorities of the families of Senate District 21, balanced with those of our great state.

Based on my belief that education and healthcare are rights, not privileges, I work tirelessly to ensure they are accessible, accountable, affordable, available and excellent. I prioritize critical legislation and funding for public schools and universities and higher salaries and retirement benefits for teachers; expanding Medicaid and ensuring healthcare districtwide, especially in rural counties; and prevention, treatment and research related to cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and other prevalent diseases.

Equally important, I champion access to justice for all, with a focus on Texans who have low incomes; don’t speak English; have disabilities and/or are veterans.

I gain insight into these and other issues by maintaining an open-door policy; accepting all constituent requests for meetings and responding to their letters, calls and text messages; and being accountable and transparent via daily social media posts, weekly eNewsletters and annual reports.

My plans for prioritizing education, health and human services and access to justice are the same that ensured my success as a senator: Before a session ends, we start planning for the next one by identifying worthy failed bills that should be filed anew. For 2027 they include my bills to provide tax-free holidays for college textbooks, to allow 17-year-olds to vote in primaries if they will be 18 by the general election, to increase funding for college financial aid and work-study programs, to expand Medicaid & to provide more healthcare professionals & services.

During the interim my staff & I work with constituents, advocates, stakeholders & experts to write & vet legislative proposals, preparing suitable ones (usually 30+) for pre-filing 60 days before session starts. Pre-filed bills are likely to be referred to committees first, which enables me to be among the first senators to request hearings, which we do immediately after bills are referred to committees. Then we use data to persuade committee chairs to schedule my bills.

Meanwhile, we typically pre-select House members who can sponsor my bills passed by the Senate. To facilitate their work, we provide them my notebook with all necessary information. Throughout the process we track progress &, when necessary, call House committee chairs to schedule my bills.

As the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee I am in a key position to continue to secure funding not only for my bills, but also for priorities such as I secured for TXST’s pedestrian overpass to connect buildings & ALERRT active shooter training center.

If I could choose my “walk out” song after my reelection as State Senator for SD 21, it would be the Platinum hit, “Celebration” sung by Kool & The Gang, because its lyrics are positive & upbeat (“Yahoo!”), optimistic & futuristic (“A dedication to last throughout the years”), unifying (“Everyone around the world, come on” & “It’s time to come together”) & fun-loving (“Let’s all celebrate & have a good time”). Relatedly, the music is joyous, uplifting, energetic, energizing & triumphant.

I first saw and heard the impact of “Celebration” while a delegate at a national Democratic convention. I can still visualize thousands of exuberant, excited delegates as we smiled, laughed, clapped, sang & danced in unison amidst balloons, confetti & streamers. That enriched me with a wonderful memory that is symbolic of victory & hope for Democrats.

“Celebration” symbolizes success & is a reminder not only to celebrate when we win, but also to unite in securing more victories in the future.

I strongly oppose & have spoken against the current state of ICE, whether locally or beyond. We must be concerned not only for our neighborhoods & hometowns, but also for our country.

Daily news reports & social media posts describe the atrocities some ICE agents reportedly are engaged in, including picking-up & sometimes transporting American citizens without allowing them to prove their citizenship, breaking & entering into private homes in search of supposedly undocumented citizens & seemingly baiting citizens to protest. Those who dare to protest in defense of others then may be arrested, injured or even killed, ostensibly for threatening law enforcement officers.

Although a national & international issue, it impacts all Americans, & we must not sit idly by while this controversy rages around us. That is why I have been communicating with the Hays County Judge, who has kept me informed about the deeply troubling ICE raids in Hays County & interactions with the FBI & the District Attorney. I certainly have spoken out against ICE’s actions, including when the Senate passed SB. 8, which requires local law enforcement personnel to enforce federal laws. Texas should not spend taxpayers’ money to fund federal responsibilities unless there is a compelling reason, &, if so, we should be reimbursed.

My speaking-out includes media interviews & statements & joining Democratic senators in writing our Congressional delegation & the governor. We urged them to support our U.S. Constitution & the rule of law & demand transparency from ICE.

As a Texas-Mexico border resident, I know Democrats, Independents & Republicans support a secure border. Many who propose solutions to our issues live far away & do not have a clue how to achieve it. I agree that criminals, including drug dealers, rapists & thugs, should be deported, but also believe passionately that those who are here legally, whether seeking citizenship or asylum, should be treated respectfully & compassionately.

Policies, procedures, tools & technology used for public safety must be balanced with stringent privacy protections & government accountability & transparency. I agree Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPR) & AI Policing Technology raise questions regarding privacy concerns, abuse of location data, profiling & more. The Texas Responsible AI Governance Act (2025) mandates responsible AI by prohibiting systems designed for discrimination, requiring government agencies to disclose AI interactions & restricting unauthorized biometric data use to identify persons without consent if it infringes on constitutional rights.

To ensure transparency & accountability & to prevent secret surveillance and/or abuse, any use of ALPR or AI should be subject to the Texas Public Information Act. Because local oversight is imperative, I support the City of San Marcos’ tightening data-sharing protocols to ensure its ALPR data are not used for unauthorized purposes such as federal immigration enforcement.

The legislature should consider anew requiring law enforcement to obtain a warrant or court order before using ALPR data; limiting AI policing to violent offenses rather than general surveillance; & protecting reproductive privacy by prohibiting the misuse of ALPR data to track individuals for abortion-related matters across state lines.

To protect civil liberties, these tools should be subject to standards such as those defined in my Senate Bill 327, the Consumer Protection Against Spyware Act, which prohibits collecting personally identifiable information & authorizes civil penalties/actions by the AG. I also support safeguards against AI bias & oppose AI-powered surveillance used for racial profiling or pre-crime analytics.

Because no constituent has brought this matter to my attention, I have not addressed this issue publicly in Hays County. I welcome, however, every opportunity to discuss this important issue & related legislative proposals for our 2027 legislative session.

Residents are right to raise concerns about environmental & utility impacts associated with large-scale AI data centers. These facilities place extraordinary demands on electricity, water & local infrastructure, and such impact must be evaluated carefully, especially in fast-growing communities such as Hays County, with a focus on legislative oversight; local regulatory power; permit scrutiny; community interest & protection; transparency & environmental impact; & resource (water, energy, noise pollution, infrastructure) accountability. Local coalition building to address these matters is a must, & venues must be identified & created for public discussion.

While innovation & economic growth are important, they must not come at the expense of affordability, reliability of utilities or environmental sustainability. That is why I support restoring local regulatory power to counties & am developing legislation to create a separate rate class for the largest energy consumers & to ensure significant infrastructure & grid upgrade costs driven by data center development are borne by the entities creating the demand, not by residential customers or small businesses. The goal is to protect ratepayers, maintain grid reliability, & provide transparency & fairness as Texas evaluates how to responsibly accommodate emerging technologies.

As a member of the Senate Business & Commerce Committee I have spoken out about AI data centers repeatedly, but have not been contacted to date by Hays County residents. Consistent with my longtime practice, if constituents request, I will ask TCEQ to hold a public hearing re permit applications.

As this issue evolves, I remain committed to listening to local communities, working with utility regulators & advancing policies that balance economic development with the long-term interests of Hays County residents. My goal always is to collaborate with constituents, including elected officials & advocates, to represent their needs & interests.

As a Texas state senator I am keenly aware that international conflicts are addressed at the federal level & that state officials do not have access to the information needed to address legislatively issues such as the Israel-Palestine conflict. Concurrently, however, I believe that all countries have the right to defend themselves & that moral clarity is universal. Violence against innocent persons is never acceptable; imperialism cannot be defended; & extremism, collective punishment, & endless war should be rejected.

The only durable solution to the Gaza War is a negotiated peace grounded in international law, mutual recognition, & respect for human rights. Such goals are more easily attained during a humanitarian cease-fire such as supported by Texas Democrats, along with a call for the release of hostages (SDEC vote, 2023), & by the resolution passed by the City of San Marcos in 2025.

Israel has been accused of genocide against Palestinians for decades, especially during the recent conflict in the Gaza Strip. Media reports since 2023 certainly indicate that, but I would seek additional, objective, substantive research & discussions with scholars & other experts if I had to take a position or cast a vote on this matter.

My lifetime commitment—even preceding my election as a Texas state senator—is to civil rights, equal opportunity, & peaceful conflict resolution. I will continue to do so while keeping my focus on working for the families of our district and of our great state, strengthening our communities, & defending democratic values.