Republicans are defending three Texas House seats that Democrats hope to win back on Nov. 3. The races are in the Corpus Christi area, the Rio Grande Valley and San Antonio.
In District 34, Republican Rep. Denise Villalobos faces Democrat Stephanie Saenz. Villalobos is seeking a second term in a district Republicans flipped in 2024. Her campaign credits her with helping secure $46 million in state support for the region's water system and $4 million for drainage projects in Robstown and Petronila. Saenz, a former public-school teacher with nearly 30 years of experience in education, supports increased classroom funding, higher teacher pay, universal prekindergarten and expanded access to affordable health care.
In District 37, Republican Rep. Janie Lopez faces Democrat Oziel Ochoa Jr. In District 118, Republican Jorge Borrego and Democrat Kristian Carranza are competing to succeed Republican Rep. John Lujan. One of the races features a sharp divide over Texas' private school vouchers.
According to the candidates' campaign websites, water supplies, property taxes and health care costs are also areas of concern.