State Representative, District 45 - Texas Ballot Compare

Tennyson Moreno

Republican

On ballot as: Tennyson Moreno
Current role: Vice-chair, San Marcos Regional Airport Advisory Board (per campaign)
Background: Associate degree, Tarrant County College (2020) (per Ballotpedia)
Background in aviation, logistics and Texas politics (per campaign)
Sixth-generation Texan and licensed pilot (per campaign)
Volunteer, Commemorative Air Force (per campaign)
Lives in San Marcos
Experience: President of two conservative organizations (per campaign)
Experienced campaign manager (per campaign)
Republican nominee, House District 45 (2024); lost the November 2024 general election to Erin Zwiener
Top priorities: Told Community Impact his top priorities are "Affordability, infrastructure, and environment & water"
Cost of living: "Cutting government spending, cutting taxes, reducing insurance costs and eliminating property taxes"
Water: "Continuing the investments and research into desalination and manufactured water"
Data centers: "I believe in removing tax breaks and incentives for data centers that use an open loop water system"
Campaign site lists "Lowering Taxes", "Funding Public Safety", "Prioritizing Education" and "Securing the Border"
Tidbits: Abortion: No public statement found
Border and immigration: No public statement found
Guns: No public statement found
Public schools and vouchers: No public statement found
Property taxes: In a Community Impact Q&A: "Cutting government spending, cutting taxes, reducing insurance costs and eliminating property taxes puts more money in homeowners pockets"
Endorsements: None found in our research
Campaign website: tennysonmoreno.com

Erin Zwiener

Democratic Incumbent

On ballot as: Erin Zwiener
Current role: State Representative, Texas House District 45 (since January 8, 2019; fourth term)
Background: Bachelor's degree in natural resource conservation, University of Montana
Master's in creative nonfiction, University of Arizona
Conservationist, author and educator (per campaign)
Worked for conservation nonprofits including the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (per campaign)
Taught creative writing (per campaign)
Born in Irving; lives in Driftwood
Experience: Founder and chair, Texas Energy & Climate Caucus (per her Community Impact candidate profile)
Member, House Natural Resources Committee (per candidate)
November 2024 general election: defeated Tennyson Moreno
Top priorities: Told Community Impact: "Expand local authority to manage growth, improve water conservation standards, fund our local groundwater districts"
Also lists "increase state funding to public schools, expand Medicaid, protect civil rights for all Texans"
Data centers: "ending tax incentives, establishing strong regulations on water, energy use and noise"
Cost of living: "I'll fight to expand Medicaid, improving healthcare access and reducing costs"
Property taxes: wants the state "to pay its fair, at least 50%, for our public schools instead of passing the buck to property taxpayers"
Tidbits: Abortion: Campaign site: "I will fight to restore access to safe and legal abortion."
Border and immigration: Campaign site: supports "a path to citizenship for folks who've been productive members of our communities" and says of the 2017 law: "I will fight to repeal Senate Bill 4."
Guns: Campaign site: "We need a regulatory structure that encourages safe and responsible gun ownership, not careless and dangerous ownership."
Public schools and vouchers: Campaign site, in a passage about the 2023 special sessions headed "Pro-Public School & Anti-Voucher": "I promise to continue fighting for our neighborhood schools, our children, educators, and school district employees."
Property taxes: Campaign site: wants the state "to pay its fair, at least 50%, for our public schools instead of passing the buck to property taxpayers"
Endorsements: Texas AFL-CIO
Texas AFT
Equality Texas Action
Campaign website: erinforyall.com