Target Races

Our Target Candidates

Mihaela Plesa knows how to win tough races and turn those victories into results. As the first Democrat to represent Collin County in the Texas Legislature in more than 30 years, she has become an effective bipartisan lawmaker with legislative wins spanning homeowners insurance, public safety, veterans, retirement security, consumer protections, and maternal and infant health. She has earned recognition for her legislative leadership while representing one of the most competitive districts in Texas. Mihaela is running to keep delivering for the community that raised her and to show that Democrats can win, hold, and govern in the places that will determine Texas’ future.

Rep. Mihaela Plesa

Rep. Eddie Morales is an attorney, business owner, and public servant from Eagle Pass running for reelection to the Texas House this November in one of the most competitive districts in the state, spanning over eleven counties. Eddie has fought hard for his constituents on issues ranging from expanding health care and supporting public schools to protecting Texas’s natural resources. If reelected, Eddie will continue to work hard to deliver for his community. In 2020, Eddie successfully defended this Democratic seat and has continued to protect it since.

Rep. Eddie Morales

Born and raised in Corpus Christi, Stephanie Guerrero Sáenz is a wife, mother, and public school teacher who has spent her life serving the community that raised her. The daughter of a Marine Corps veteran, Stephanie was raised to believe in hard work, service to others, and giving back to her community. For nearly 30 years, she has worked in public education, helping students succeed while fighting for stronger public schools, higher teacher pay, and greater opportunities for the next generation. She has always believed that public service is about helping people and creating opportunities for others to thrive.

Stephanie Guerrero-Saenz

Kristian Carranza is a proud Southside San Antonio native who watched her mom stretch a single paycheck to make ends meet. When her mom got sick, Kristian left college to help pay the bills. The experience taught her the system was broken. So she went to work to change it, helping thousands of families navigate the bureaucracy to secure affordable health insurance. Today, Kristian is running to fight back against the corruption in Austin, ban corporate giveaways, and put working families first by protecting our public schools, doing more to bring down prices, and lowering property taxes.

Kristian Carranza

Oziel “Ozzie” Ochoa, Jr. is a lifelong Valley educator, former public school teacher and football coach, husband, and father who understands the challenges working families face every day. He has spent his career fighting for students, strengthening public schools, and making sure every child has the opportunity to succeed. Ozzie will work with anyone to deliver results for the Valley, but he will never back down when Valley families are on the line. In the Texas Legislature, he will fight to lower everyday costs, make healthcare and housing more affordable, restore funding for our public schools, and put Valley families first.

Oziel Ochoa

Zach is a Marine Corps Veteran, father of four kids in public schools, small business owner, and trial attorney. He has lived in HD 112 for over 12 years, is a strong community member and public school advocate. Zach decided to run because he was fed up with politicians who prioritize big business over individual Texans, defund our schools, and give lip service to fear-mongering culture war tactics. Zach believes in true representation in Austin and will fight for public schools, affordability, and healthcare expansion.

Zach Herbert

Zack Dunn was raised in District 121 by two military parents whose service and sacrifice instilled in him the value of service over self. That principle has guided his life’s decisions and fuels his desire to serve the residents of District 121. For nearly four years, Zack served as a Special Victims Unit (SVU) prosecutor in the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office, where his trial experience and daily work focused on protecting victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. Zack sees running for state representative in District 121 as a natural extension of his work protecting and advocating for the most vulnerable members of his community.

Zack Dunn

Chris Jimenez is a Marine Corps veteran, small business owner, husband, and father. He is running to bring servant leadership to House District 52 Texans in Round Rock, Hutto, Taylor, and Georgetown. Raised in a hardworking family, Chris learned discipline, determination, and looking out for your neighbors. Those values led him to the United States Marine Corps, where he developed leadership and accountability skills essential to service that actually helps others. Chris then built a small business while raising his family in Williamson County. He knows what Wilco businesses and families face: rising costs, attacks on our public schools, water and healthcare, and a state legislature that postures and divides but does not serve us. 

Chris Jimenez

Katie O’Brien Duzan is a Democrat, Arlington native, mother, and business leader running for the open seat in House District 94. She holds a BA and MBA from TCU and brings more than 15 years of experience leading global teams. Deeply engaged in her community, Katie has served on the AISD Citizens Bond Oversight Committee and PTA Financial Reconciliation Committee and advocated for measures such as secure gun storage. As a mother of two and the wife of an Air Force veteran, she is running to make North Texas more affordable for families, strengthen and fully fund public schools, improve access to healthcare, and protect local control and individual freedoms.

Katie O'Brien Duzan

Allison Mitchell is a Dallas native and entrepreneur who built a successful international handbag business from the ground up. A proud public school parent and mother of a child with disabilities, she knows firsthand the struggles families face in finding accessible, quality health care and the special education supports and services they depend on. She’s running for the State House to solve problems, including fully funding public schools, lowering costs, and putting people—not special interests—first. She’s stepping up now because the challenges Texans face are too important to leave to politics as usual.

Allison Mitchell

Tyler Smith is a former baseball coach and nonprofit leader and community organizer from Harris County running to flip a seat in the Texas House in November. Tyler proved himself as a consensus builder by gaining bipartisan support to protect children from violence. Smith is running for State Representative to lower the cost of healthcare and housing, fix the power grid, and keep our families safe from violence. Tyler represents a new generation of state legislative candidates stepping up to push back against extremism and build Democratic power in the Texas House.

Tyler Smith

Josh Wallenstein is a native Texan, husband, father, and ethics attorney who sees himself as a problem solver rather than a politician. Raised in public schools and shaped by a community that supported his family after his father died when he was seven, Josh understands firsthand the power of opportunity—and the importance of making sure every child has access to it. After earning his law degree from Stanford, he built his career fighting corruption, promoting transparency, and holding powerful interests accountable. Today, Josh is focused on protecting taxpayer dollars, strengthening public education, and finding practical ways to lower costs for families and small businesses. As the father of a 13-year-old, he is committed to making sure the next generation has the same opportunities to thrive that helped shape his own life.

Josh Wallenstein

Mary Ann Perez was raised in Southeast Houston and, after graduating from Milby High School, worked her way through college before building a successful small business and raising her two sons. Her deep roots in the community, from volunteering in local schools and Little League to serving as President of the Meadowcreek Civic Association, shaped her commitment to creating opportunities for working families and strengthening the neighborhoods she calls home. After serving on the Houston Community College Board of Trustees, Mary Ann was elected to the Texas House in 2012, where she has spent her career fighting for strong public schools, good jobs, reliable infrastructure, and a stronger Texas economy. Now serving her sixth term representing House District 144, she continues to step up because she believes Southeast Houston families deserve a voice at the table, a government that works for them, and a representative with experienced leadership who will deliver real results for their community.

Rep. Mary Ann Perez