Who José is
He took over his family's small San Antonio business at 22 and ran it for years before ever winning office.
About José
José Menéndez grew up working at his family's business on San Antonio's West Side, the son of immigrants. He worked his way up from San Antonio City Council to the Texas House and, since 2015, the Texas Senate, where he has authored over 200 bills touching schools, seniors, veterans, and cyberbullying protections for kids (David's Law). He's running for re-election to keep representing District 26.
Where they stand
- Reproductive RightsAgree
- Immigration & BorderDisagree
- Housing & AffordabilityAgree
- Public EducationAgree
- Election IntegrityAgree
- HealthcareDisagree
- Social Security & MedicareUnknown
- Gun PolicyDisagree
- Climate & EnergyDisagree
Also on the ballot for TX State Senate • District 26
Every candidate on this ballot line appears here, in alphabetical order. Tap a name to read more.
Julian VillarrealHe's an MIT-trained materials scientist with a PhD from UT Austin who's running for State Senate for a second time.
About Julian
Born and raised in San Antonio, Julián Villarreal is a scientist who studied materials science at MIT and later earned a PhD in the field at UT Austin. He first ran for this Senate seat in 2020, winning over 50,000 votes, and is running again as the Green Party's nominee to give District 26 voters a choice beyond the two major parties. He campaigns on clean energy, environmental justice, and affordability for working-class San Antonio families, and refuses money from corporate PACs, lobbyists, and wealthy donors.