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Backed by the Texas AFL-CIO, Union-First Candidate Wins Chart a New Path for Texas Politics

Texas AFL-CIO
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TEXAS – Today, the Texas AFL-CIO released the following statement after many of its union-first candidates were elected across the state.

“Our rank-and-file union members running for office are charting a new future for Texas,” said Texas AFL-CIO President Leonard Aguilar. “We’re done waiting for change, we’re running for it. The Texas AFL-CIO will continue to recruit, train, and elect union members because when they’re in office, they’re ready to fight for workers on day one. Now, our work is fully-focused on winning these runoffs.”

In June 2025, union delegates passed a resolution calling for the Texas AFL-CIO to recruit, equip, and empower Texas union members to run for office. In Oct. 2025, the organization graduated its first class of 16 members, which included Montserrat Garibay who's running for Texas House District 49. 

State Senator Taylor Rehmet, a veteran and the president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Texas State Council, kicked off this wave of union candidates in January when he became the first rank-and-file member to ever serve in the Texas Senate. Rehmet is a graduate of the Texas AFL-CIO’s Ruth Ellinger Leadership Academy.

Union-first candidate wins:

  • Texas Supreme Court, Place 1: Maggie Ellis, Member of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) 1624 and Texas State Employees Union (TSEU), Communications Workers of America (CWA) 6186
  • U.S. House, District 27 (Victoria/Austin): Tanya Lloyd, Member of Texas AFT
  • Texas House, District 28 (Richmond): Sandy Ibáñez, Member of Fort Bend AFT
  • Texas House, District 47 (Austin): Pooja Sethi, Member of TSEU (CWA 6186)

Union-first candidates in the May 26 runoff election: 

  • Texas House, District 49 (Austin): Montserrat Garibay, Former Texas AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer; Member of Education Austin
  • Texas House, District 125 (San Antonio): Adrian Reyna, Member of San Antonio Alliance

Union-first candidates in races that haven’t been called: 

  • Lieutenant Governor: Marcos Vélez, Assistant Director of United Steelworkers (USW) District 13
  • Texas House, District 50 (Austin): Jeremy Hendricks, Assistant Business Manager, SWLDC, LIUNA
  • Texas House, District 142 (Houston): Danyahel (Danny) Norris, Member of AFSCME HOPE 123

Union-first candidates automatically heading to the General Election: 

  • Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 9: Holly Taylor, Member of AFSCME Texas Retiree Chapter 12
  • U.S. House, District 19 (Lubbock): Kyle Rable, Member of TSEU (CWA 6186)
  • Texas Senate, District 9 (Fort Worth): Taylor Rehmet (incumbent), President of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Texas State Council
  • Texas House, District 70 (Dallas): Mihaela Plesa (incumbent), Member of TSEU (CWA 6186)
  • Texas House, District 146 (Houston): Lauren Ashley Simmons (incumbent), Member of TSEU (CWA 6186) & CWA 1180

Other statewide Texas AFL-CIO endorsement wins included Gina Hinojosa for Governor and Sarah Eckhardt for Comptroller of Public Accounts, both members of TSEU (CWA 6186). The Texas AFL-CIO also endorsed Nathan Johnson for Attorney General, who is projected to head to a runoff.

What comes next? 

Today, the Texas AFL-CIO will join with Gulf Coast unions for a Working Families Rally with Gina Hinojosa at 5:00pm at The Ballroom at Bayou Place in Houston. Details here.

Then, the Texas AFL-CIO will continue its electoral work to grow union-first wins in the May 26 Primary Runoff.

Background: 

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The Texas AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations) is the state labor federation consisting of more than 250,000 affiliated union members and advocates for working people in Texas. Learn more at texasaflcio.org