Julio Salinas

Julio Salinas is a legislative director, organizer, and Texas Democratic Party Hispanic Caucus co-chair from the Rio Grande Valley running for the Texas House in November. Julio, the son of migrant farmers, started school speaking only Spanish, but the support of his friends and neighbors helped him catch up in a system not built for bilingual students. Today, Julio is ready to fight for his community by working in the legislature to win investments in public education, access to affordable health care, and sustainable economic opportunities for working families. 

At just 26 years old, young candidates like Julio are leading the charge to challenge decades of GOP mismanagement in Texas, and with the support of the DLCC’s Target Races program, he has an excellent opportunity to protect a crucial Democratic seat in the Texas House.

Over the past decade, Democrats have been steadily building power in the Texas House, where Republicans have held a majority since 2002, and this year, Texas is home to some of our best opportunities to pick up seats and gain ground in a state’s legislature. 

In 2025, state Democrats in Texas used their minority power to take a stand against a blatant GOP mid-decade redistricting power-grab attempt by leaving the state and denying quorum. Every seat flipped blue strengthens Democrats’ ability to resist extreme legislation in Texas and push for policies to enact positive change. 

The DLCC has supported Democrats in Texas cycle over cycle, featuring 37 Texas candidates in our DLCC Target Races program since 2020. Early in 2026, Taylor Rehmet, a DLCC Target Race candidate for Texas Senate, achieved the first major flip of the year when he claimed victory in a district that voted overwhelmingly for Trump in the 2024 election.

This year, all 150 seats in the Texas House are on the ballot, and Democratic candidates have filed to run in every district, giving us a historic opportunity to build power in the chamber. Democrats would need to pick up 14 seats to take an outright majority, but every inch of ground gained puts us closer than ever to turning the tide in the Texas Legislature.