State Senator, District 19 - Texas Ballot Compare

Marcus Cardenas

Republican

On ballot as: Marcus Cardenas
Current role: Owner, Vertex Concrete (San Antonio concrete business)
Background: Attended South San High School and Palo Alto College
Born, raised and lives on the Southside of San Antonio
Left college to work in his family's plumbing business after his older brother's death in a 2007 motorcycle accident (per candidate)
Experience: Built Vertex Concrete, which has operated in the district for over a decade (per campaign)
Republican primary runoff (May 26, 2026): won, 52.5% over Robert Marks
Top priorities: "I support property tax relief for working families", including exploring "lowering the age for certain tax exemptions from 65 to 55"
Education: "expanded career and technical education, and alternatives to relying solely on the STAAR test to measure success"
"promote economic development by supporting small businesses and attracting new industries to our district"
Campaign site: "opposes any effort to defund the police and will work to strengthen penalties for violent criminals"
Campaign site: "investments in roads, bridges, water systems, and broadband internet"
Tidbits: Abortion: No public statement found
Border and immigration: No public statement found
Guns: No public statement found
Public schools and vouchers: In a San Antonio Report questionnaire: "Education Savings Accounts should be implemented with strong transparency and accountability."
Property taxes: In a San Antonio Report questionnaire: wants to explore "lowering the age for certain tax exemptions from 65 to 55"
Claims and the record
Controversies: None found in the news coverage we reviewed
Endorsements: Gov. Greg Abbott (primary)
Campaign website: marcusfortexas.com

Roland Gutierrez

Democratic Incumbent

On ballot as: Roland Gutierrez
Current role: State Senator, Texas Senate District 19 (since 2021)
Background: B.A., University of Texas at San Antonio
J.D., St. Mary's University School of Law
Attorney
Hometown San Antonio
Son of Mexican immigrants (per campaign)
Experience: Ran for U.S. Senate after the 2022 Uvalde school shooting; lost the Democratic primary
Texas House member (2008–2021)
Chair, Defense and Veterans' Affairs Committee, Texas House (85th legislative session)
San Antonio City Council (2005–2008) (per Ballotpedia)
Top priorities: Campaign site: "a leading voice in the state's capitol in preventing gun violence"
Campaign site: "from fixing infrastructure to fighting for stronger education"
Joined a February 2025 statement opposing the school voucher bill as "public subsidization of private schools' choice"
Immigration enforcement: "ICE is a rogue agency that shoots first and asks questions later" (October 2026 statement)
In April 2025 Senate debate, called for rape and incest exceptions to the state's abortion law: "We have the power to do that today"
Tidbits: Abortion: In Senate debate on April 29, 2025, called for adding rape and incest exceptions to the state's abortion law, FOX 4 reported: "We have the power to do that today"
Border and immigration: At an Oct. 2, 2026 congressional field hearing in San Antonio: "ICE is a rogue agency that shoots first and asks questions later."
Guns: Campaign site: "Roland has been a leading voice in the state's capitol in preventing gun violence."
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: No public statement found
Claims and the record
Controversies: None found in the news coverage we reviewed
Endorsements: Texas AFL-CIO
Texas AFT
Campaign website: rolandfortexas.com