Abel Herrero has held the District 34 seat for almost two decades, but this year, he has decided to step down, leaving the seat up for grabs. Below are the candidates running to fill the empty seat.
Denise Villalobos (R)
What is/was your profession? Are you now retired?
I have a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering & a master’s degree in business. I am currently a project manager at Flint Hills Resources, and build pipeline & terminals all across the great state of Texas.
What relevant experience can you bring to office?
I currently serve on the Tuloso-Midway School Board managing a $40,000,000 budget. At work I manage a project portfolio of over $50,000,000. I’m not a politician, I am an engineer. I am a problem solver.
How have your life experiences prepared you for this position?
I was born & raised in House District 34. I grew up below the poverty line. My mom made $20,000 a year working at a convenient store & my father struggled with substance abuse. I attended Tuloso-Midway from Pre-K4 to graduation & public school was my safe haven. I was able to overcome all the obstacles set before me to be where I am today. I want to provide those same opportunities to every child in HD34.
Which problems would you address on your first day in office?
One of the first things I would like to do, if elected, is pass a new law protecting little girls and boys from human traffickers. Under my proposal, any criminal convicted of trafficking kids in Texas will never be eligible for parole. Basically, a human trafficking conviction would be a life sentence, because if you mess with our kids, we should lock you up and throw away the key. For this reason, and many others, I'm proud to say that Nueces County Sheriff J.C. Hooper, the Nueces County Sheriff Officers Association, the Corpus Christi Police Officers Association, the National Border Patrol Council, and many others in local law enforcement are supporting my candidacy. They know that nothing is more important to me than the safety and security of our families.
What are long-term issues that need to be addressed throughout your time in office?
There are a variety of issues that are on my long-term priority list, the first of which is encouraging the creation of high-paying local jobs. That involves ensuring we have a thriving energy industry and that we support agriculture. We must also permanently lower property taxes to address the high cost of living. A lot of people in Nueces County are struggling to stay in their homes because of their tax bills, and that's just not right. We need to provide long-lasting property tax relief combined with a strong local economy for our area to flourish.
What is local government doing well right now that needs to be expanded further?
I'm not running for local office. I'm running for state office, and as such I would see my role as being a representative for the various local governments in my district to the state. I will represent all of my constituents in the Texas House, and that extends to our local institutions, like city councils and school boards. If they need an advocate in Austin, I will be that advocate.
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SOLOMON P. ORTIZ JR. (D)
What is/was your profession? Are you now retired?
Small business owner and nonprofit executive.
What relevant experience can you bring to office?
I'm a former State Representative and will keep my seniority when I get elected and return to the State House (Would return as a 4th term member). This makes a huge difference on committee assignments that impact our community.
How have your life experiences prepared you for this position?
I grew up in a home of public service. I know what it takes from personal experience to be a good public servant.
Which problems would you address on your first day in office?
We are facing many issues. Teacher pay, adequate school funding, rising cost of college, expanding medicaid and healthcare access, addressing our infrastructure needs. Those are just a few of the issues we need to tackle.
What do you see as long-term issues that need to be addressed throughout your time in office?
(no answer)
What is local government doing well right now that needs to be expanded further?
(no answer)
