Jose Menendez

Democratic Incumbent

On ballot as: Jose Menendez
Current role: State Senator, Texas Senate District 26 (since 2015 special election)
Background: Graduate, Central Catholic High School
Degrees in business administration and Latin American studies, Southern Methodist University
Vice President, Stewart Title Guaranty; Director, Multicultural Market (occupation per the Senate)
Hometown San Antonio
Son of immigrants (per his Senate biography)
Grew up working at his family's West Side business (per his Senate biography)
Experience: Texas House, District 124 (2001–2015)
San Antonio City Council, District 6 (elected 1997)
David's Law, an anti-cyberbullying measure (credited to him by his Senate biography)
Top priorities: In a November 2024 statement on his bills for the 2025 session: "preserve and fully fund our public education system" and "safeguard the right to vote"
Joined a February 2025 statement opposing the school voucher bill as "public subsidization of private schools' choice"
Immigration enforcement: "We must hold them accountable to protect people and restore basic human rights" (October 2026 statement)
Campaign site (archived March 2026, undated text): "I voted to give residents the power to increase their homestead exemptions"
Campaign site (archived March 2026, undated text): "I authored a bill capping the cost of insulin"
Tidbits: Abortion: No public statement found
Border and immigration: At an Oct. 2, 2026 congressional field hearing in San Antonio: "The Trump Administration and Governor Abbott have colluded to stoke fear in our communities and incite human rights violations across our country."
Guns: After a September 2019 town hall in San Antonio, KSAT reported: "We want to do universal background checks. We want to do red flag laws that make us safer"
Public schools and vouchers: In a Feb. 5, 2025 statement with six other senators on the voucher bill, SB 2: it is "public subsidization of private schools' choice"
Property taxes: Campaign site, as archived by the Internet Archive on March 23, 2026 (text undated): "I voted to give residents the power to increase their homestead exemptions"
Claims and the record
2017 unreported campaign contributions: A 2017 news review of campaign finance filings found he had not reported two $25,000 contributions. No report of a penalty was found, and the Texas Ethics Commission lists no order in his name. He said he would amend his reports and there was no intent to deceive: "The ultimate responsibility is with me".
Endorsements: Texas AFL-CIO
Texas AFT
Campaign website: Not found

Jose Menendez

State Senator, District 26

Jose Menendez