Early voting for the midterm election began Monday. At the federal level, ballots in UT’s district include the U.S. House District 37 Representative and U.S. Senate elections. These two public officials will represent UT in Congress, which controls federal spending, including some University grants.
U.S. House of Representatives
Students registered with a West Campus address will vote for their U.S. House District 37 Representative this election. The winner will serve a two-year term, during which they can introduce bills and amendments, serve on committees and work on the federal budget.
The Democratic nominee, U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, currently represents House District 35, which included part of San Antonio and East Austin before Texas’s 2025 redistricting session.
Casar’s platform focuses on economic issues for working families, “an inclusive democracy” and fixing Texas’ power grid. According to his website, he supports free community college and public universities, raising minimum teacher salaries and investing in public schools.
The Republican nominee, Lauren Peña, is the creator of Peña Legal Advocacy and has also served as a commissioner for the city of Austin.
Peña’s platform is based on protecting Texas families, ending corruption and stopping human trafficking. She said she will expand school choice by supporting private school and homeschooling options, oppose gender ideology in K-12 schools and prevent “inappropriate content” from school libraries, according to her website.
The seat was previously held by U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-37, who did not run for re-election due to redistricting in Texas.
U.S. Senate
No matter the zip code, all Texans choose from the same candidates in the Senate race. The winner will serve a six-year term and can filibuster, a prolonged debate tactic used to prevent or delay a vote on legislation.
Each state has two senators, and Texas’ other seat is currently held by Ted Cruz, R-Texas.
For the past seven years, James Talarico, D-Austin, has served in the Texas House. Talarico, a former teacher and the Democratic nominee, campaigns on public K-12 education, specifically fighting against vouchers and investing in future public school teachers, according to his website.
Talarico also focuses on corruption in Texas politics and said on his website that he would present an “anti-corruption package” if elected to the U.S. Senate.
Ken Paxton has served as Texas Attorney General for 11 years. Now, the Republican nominee, Paxton, is campaigning on pushing President Donald Trump’s agenda in the Senate, including Trump’s initiative to finish the border wall and foreign policy that prioritizes America’s interests and citizens, according to his website.
He also said on his website that he aims to cut taxes and “stop the wasteful spending” that has led to the national debt.
