Texas Ballot Compare

General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Nonpartisan voter guide · Texas

State Representative, District 37

Race · November 3, 2026 general election

State of Texas
Vote for oneResearched · fact-checked
Janie LopezJanie LopezRepublican Incumbent
Oziel "Ozzie" Ochoa, Jr.Oziel "Ozzie" Ochoa, Jr.Democratic
On ballot as
Janie Lopez
Oziel "Ozzie" Ochoa, Jr.
Current role
State Representative, Texas House District 37 (elected November 2022)
Director of special education, Harlingen school district
Background
  • San Benito High School graduate (1997)
  • Master's degree in mental health
  • Worked as a mental healthcare professional treating at-risk children, veterans and first responders with PTSD
  • Former director, San Benito CISD; former GEAR UP counselor, Brownsville CISD
  • Attended Harlingen High School South
  • Bachelor's degree, University of Texas Pan American (2008)
  • Master's degree in education, Lamar University (2011)
  • Superintendent certification, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (2024)
  • Born and raised in Harlingen
Experience
  • Member, House Appropriations, Calendars, and Agriculture and Livestock committees
  • Former San Benito CISD trustee (Place 7); served as board vice president and chair of finance and administration
  • Republican primary (March 3, 2026): won, 69%
  • Nearly two decades in public education (per campaign)
  • Teacher, coach, principal and school administrator (per campaign)
  • Democratic primary runoff (May 26, 2026): won, 61.6%
Top priorities
  • Taxes: "Create jobs, expand economic opportunities, and lower property taxes"
  • Public safety: "Reduce crime, invest in border security, support our local law enforcement and boost their pay"
  • Schools: "Increase funding, support pay raises for educators, improve classroom materials"
  • Health care: "Expand access, lower premiums, provide pay raises for healthcare providers and cap prescription drug costs for those in need."
  • Infrastructure: "Invest in modernizing roads, bridges, and public transportation systems, upgrade utilities, and water projects"
  • "Cut property taxes by expanding the homestead exemption and using state funding to further compress school property tax rates for homeowners."
  • "Raise the Texas minimum wage to at least $15 an hour."
  • "Expand Medicaid so more working Texans can afford healthcare and strengthen hospitals and clinics that serve our communities."
  • "Keep public dollars in public schools and oppose voucher programs that divert resources from neighborhood classrooms."
  • "Invest in flood prevention, drainage improvements, and disaster preparedness to better protect our communities."
  • "Establish a state veterans cemetery in District 37"
Tidbits
  • Abortion: Campaign site lists among her accomplishments "banning taxpayer-funded abortion, cracking down on abortion pill traffickers"
  • Border and immigration: Campaign site: "Reduce crime, invest in border security, support our local law enforcement and boost their pay"
  • Guns: No public statement found
  • Public schools and vouchers: Campaign site: "Increase funding, support pay raises for educators, improve classroom materials, and ensure access to higher education and trade schools for all students."
  • Property taxes: Campaign site: "lower property taxes to provide much needed tax relief for our families and small businesses"
  • Abortion: No public statement found
  • Border and immigration: Campaign site: "Ozzie will prioritize border and public safety, reliable water, flood protection, strong infrastructure"
  • Guns: No public statement found
  • Public schools and vouchers: Campaign site: "Keep public dollars in public schools and oppose voucher programs that divert resources from neighborhood classrooms."
  • Property taxes: Campaign site: "Cut property taxes by expanding the homestead exemption and using state funding to further compress school property tax rates for homeowners."
Endorsements
  • Texas Right to Life PAC
  • Texas Home School Coalition
  • Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT) PAC
  • Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC
  • President Donald Trump (primary)
Show all 30
  • Gov. Greg Abbott (primary)
  • U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (primary)
  • Texas Alliance for Life (primary)
  • NFIB Texas PAC (primary)
  • TruckPAC (Texas Trucking Association) (primary)
  • Texas Municipal Police Association (listed by campaign)
  • Texas Oil & Gas Association Good Government Committee (listed by campaign)
  • Texans for Responsible Government (listed by campaign)
  • Texas Association of Business (listed by campaign)
  • Texas Real Estate Political Action Committee (TREPAC) (listed by campaign)
  • Adolfo Torriz, San Benito Wings (listed by campaign)
  • Antonio Renteria, Small Business Owner, Poder Latino (listed by campaign)
  • Jesus Aguilera, Small Business Owner, Fmr. San Benito Housing Authority Board, Veteran (listed by campaign)
  • The Two Blind Mice Show & Rio Grande Valley Coalition of the Blind (listed by campaign)
  • Ernest Garcia and Elizabeth Garcia, Pastor at Livingstone Church (listed by campaign)
  • Luis M. Flores and Tamara Trevino, Pastor at Livingstone Church (listed by campaign)
  • Ramon Garcia and Yvette Garcia, Pastor at Livingstone Church (listed by campaign)
  • Frank Garza, Pastor at Borderland Church (listed by campaign)
  • Annielou Garcia & Manny Garcia, Christians for Family Values, Community Advocates (listed by campaign)
  • Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham (listed by campaign)
  • State Senator Pete Flores, Senate District 24 (listed by campaign)
  • State Representative Ryan Guillen, House District 31 (listed by campaign)
  • State Representative J.M. Lozano, House District 43 (listed by campaign)
  • State Representative John Lujan, House District 118 (listed by campaign)
  • State Representative Mano De Ayala, House District 133 (listed by campaign)
  • Texas AFL-CIO
  • Texas AFT
Campaign website
janielopez.com
ochoafortx37.com
Janie Lopez

Janie Lopez

Republican Incumbent
On ballot as
Janie Lopez
Current role
State Representative, Texas House District 37 (elected November 2022)
Background
  • San Benito High School graduate (1997)
  • Master's degree in mental health
  • Worked as a mental healthcare professional treating at-risk children, veterans and first responders with PTSD
  • Former director, San Benito CISD; former GEAR UP counselor, Brownsville CISD
Experience
  • Member, House Appropriations, Calendars, and Agriculture and Livestock committees
  • Former San Benito CISD trustee (Place 7); served as board vice president and chair of finance and administration
  • Republican primary (March 3, 2026): won, 69%
Top priorities
  • Taxes: "Create jobs, expand economic opportunities, and lower property taxes"
  • Public safety: "Reduce crime, invest in border security, support our local law enforcement and boost their pay"
  • Schools: "Increase funding, support pay raises for educators, improve classroom materials"
  • Health care: "Expand access, lower premiums, provide pay raises for healthcare providers and cap prescription drug costs for those in need."
  • Infrastructure: "Invest in modernizing roads, bridges, and public transportation systems, upgrade utilities, and water projects"
Tidbits
  • Abortion: Campaign site lists among her accomplishments "banning taxpayer-funded abortion, cracking down on abortion pill traffickers"
  • Border and immigration: Campaign site: "Reduce crime, invest in border security, support our local law enforcement and boost their pay"
  • Guns: No public statement found
  • Public schools and vouchers: Campaign site: "Increase funding, support pay raises for educators, improve classroom materials, and ensure access to higher education and trade schools for all students."
  • Property taxes: Campaign site: "lower property taxes to provide much needed tax relief for our families and small businesses"
Endorsements
  • Texas Right to Life PAC
  • Texas Home School Coalition
  • Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT) PAC
  • Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC
  • President Donald Trump (primary)
Show all 30
  • Gov. Greg Abbott (primary)
  • U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (primary)
  • Texas Alliance for Life (primary)
  • NFIB Texas PAC (primary)
  • TruckPAC (Texas Trucking Association) (primary)
  • Texas Municipal Police Association (listed by campaign)
  • Texas Oil & Gas Association Good Government Committee (listed by campaign)
  • Texans for Responsible Government (listed by campaign)
  • Texas Association of Business (listed by campaign)
  • Texas Real Estate Political Action Committee (TREPAC) (listed by campaign)
  • Adolfo Torriz, San Benito Wings (listed by campaign)
  • Antonio Renteria, Small Business Owner, Poder Latino (listed by campaign)
  • Jesus Aguilera, Small Business Owner, Fmr. San Benito Housing Authority Board, Veteran (listed by campaign)
  • The Two Blind Mice Show & Rio Grande Valley Coalition of the Blind (listed by campaign)
  • Ernest Garcia and Elizabeth Garcia, Pastor at Livingstone Church (listed by campaign)
  • Luis M. Flores and Tamara Trevino, Pastor at Livingstone Church (listed by campaign)
  • Ramon Garcia and Yvette Garcia, Pastor at Livingstone Church (listed by campaign)
  • Frank Garza, Pastor at Borderland Church (listed by campaign)
  • Annielou Garcia & Manny Garcia, Christians for Family Values, Community Advocates (listed by campaign)
  • Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham (listed by campaign)
  • State Senator Pete Flores, Senate District 24 (listed by campaign)
  • State Representative Ryan Guillen, House District 31 (listed by campaign)
  • State Representative J.M. Lozano, House District 43 (listed by campaign)
  • State Representative John Lujan, House District 118 (listed by campaign)
  • State Representative Mano De Ayala, House District 133 (listed by campaign)
Campaign website
janielopez.com
Oziel "Ozzie" Ochoa, Jr.

Oziel "Ozzie" Ochoa, Jr.

Democratic
On ballot as
Oziel "Ozzie" Ochoa, Jr.
Current role
Director of special education, Harlingen school district
Background
  • Attended Harlingen High School South
  • Bachelor's degree, University of Texas Pan American (2008)
  • Master's degree in education, Lamar University (2011)
  • Superintendent certification, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (2024)
  • Born and raised in Harlingen
Experience
  • Nearly two decades in public education (per campaign)
  • Teacher, coach, principal and school administrator (per campaign)
  • Democratic primary runoff (May 26, 2026): won, 61.6%
Top priorities
  • "Cut property taxes by expanding the homestead exemption and using state funding to further compress school property tax rates for homeowners."
  • "Raise the Texas minimum wage to at least $15 an hour."
  • "Expand Medicaid so more working Texans can afford healthcare and strengthen hospitals and clinics that serve our communities."
  • "Keep public dollars in public schools and oppose voucher programs that divert resources from neighborhood classrooms."
  • "Invest in flood prevention, drainage improvements, and disaster preparedness to better protect our communities."
  • "Establish a state veterans cemetery in District 37"
Tidbits
  • Abortion: No public statement found
  • Border and immigration: Campaign site: "Ozzie will prioritize border and public safety, reliable water, flood protection, strong infrastructure"
  • Guns: No public statement found
  • Public schools and vouchers: Campaign site: "Keep public dollars in public schools and oppose voucher programs that divert resources from neighborhood classrooms."
  • Property taxes: Campaign site: "Cut property taxes by expanding the homestead exemption and using state funding to further compress school property tax rates for homeowners."
Endorsements
  • Texas AFL-CIO
  • Texas AFT
Campaign website
ochoafortx37.com

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