State Rep. Denise Villalobos (R-Corpus Christi) is seeking a second term to represent Texas House District (HD) 34, facing off against Democrat Stephanie Guerrero Sáenz.
According to The Texan’s Texas Partisan Index, HD 34 is rated D-51% for the 2022–2024 election cycle, down from D-54% in 2020–2022.
The district is nearly three quarters Hispanic and covers roughly half of Nueces County, including half of Corpus Christi and the county’s rural towns, including Robstown, Bishop, Banquete, and Agua Dulce.
After nine terms in the Texas House, Democrat Abel Herrero announced his retirement in 2023, leaving HD 34 open. In 2024, Villalobos flipped the seat by nearly 11 points, and President Donald Trump also won the district by 1.4 points.
Villalobos raised over $768,000 in the latest reporting period, with over $215,000 cash on hand. Sáenz has raised over $162,000 in the last reporting period, and holds nearly $64,000 cash on hand.
HD 34 is one of 15 races targeted to flip by the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.
“When I won the first time, I knew I was going to have a huge target on my back coming into this next election cycle,” Villalobos said in an interview with The Texan. She made a personal promise to herself: “If I serve one term, I’m going to make it the best one term House District 34 has ever seen.”
Villalobos also discussed some of her main priorities: lowering property taxes, ensuring clean and reliable water, and providing career training and apprenticeship programs for the next generation.
She voiced early support for Gov. Greg Abbott’s property tax plan last December. During the interview, she said she wasn’t sure how the plan would be funded, but said the money would have to come from the state.
“A lot of my school districts are tied to industry. They pay up the wazoo in property taxes. We have a ton of Robin Hood school districts in my district that actually send money, our revenue, back to the state of Texas to help other parts of Texas,” she noted.
On her campaign website, Villalobos touts securing $50 million in state support for water-related projects: $46 million for the region’s water system, including the Mary Rhodes Pipeline, and $4 million for drainage projects in Robstown and Petronila.
“We’ve been in a five-year drought. We are currently still in a drought,” Villalobos emphasized in the interview. “Outside of that, we had a Mary Roads pipeline from East Texas, 101 miles, that we were paying for 72 million gallons of water a day and only receiving 55 million gallons for the past two decades … part of the money I brought home was to increase pumping capacity on that pipeline.”
She emphasized the importance of teaching skills and preparing young people for the workforce.
“The more career technical education we can get out there, the more people can thrive and build a great lifestyle right here at home,” she stated.
Villalobos described HD 34 as one of the poorest House districts, citing a median income of about $26,000.
“There’s a ton of generational poverty in my community,” she noted.
She also highlighted her anti-human trafficking bill, House Bill (HB) 2306, which passed unanimously in the Texas House. The bill made people convicted of trafficking children or people with disabilities ineligible for parole.
“We have 30 miles of Highway 77 in my district in Nueces County, which is the direct route from the border to Houston,” Villalobos explained, noting that there are a lot of calls from that area regarding human trafficking, fentanyl, and other illegal activities coming across the border and “going to major metropolitan areas.”
If re-elected, Villalobos said she wants to do more to combat human trafficking. “They drive right through Corpus Christi, so it is a high topic for my area,” she stated.
Guerrero Sáenz, Villalobos’ Democratic opponent, lists her top priorities as stronger public education, affordable healthcare access, an economy for working families, and protecting water and natural resources.
According to her campaign website, Guerrero Sáenz has worked in public education for nearly 30 years and “believes every child deserves a great education, no matter their zip code.” She highlighted higher teacher pay, access to universal pre-K, affordable pathways to college or vocational training, and increased classroom funding.
“Stephanie has also stood up to MAGA Republicans trying to rewrite history and remove diverse voices from textbooks because she believes students deserve an honest education that prepares them to think critically and succeed,” the website reads.
Guerrero Sáenz wants to expand access to affordable healthcare by lowering prescription drug costs and “protecting” Medicare and Medicaid.
When it comes to affordability, she is focused on “building an economy that works for working families—not just the wealthy few.” In addition to lowering costs, supporting small businesses, and investing in job training, she wants to raise the minimum wage and “protect workers’ right to organize.”
On her website, Guerrero Sáenz pledges to support investments in water security and resilient infrastructure, while also “protecting the bays, waterways, and natural resources that make the Coastal Bend unique.”
She is endorsed by Planned Parenthood Texas Votes, Texas Democratic Veterans, and the Texas State Teachers Association, an affiliate of the National Education Association.
“District 34 is represented by a one-term Republican incumbent, but has a strong history of electing Democrats,” the DLCC wrote on Guerrero Sáenz’s profile. “With the support of the DLCC’s Target Races program, Stephanie has a strong chance to flip the seat blue once again.”
The Texan reached out to Guerrero Sáenz for comment, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Early voting runs through October 30, and Election Day is November 3.