Jazlyn Urrutia
Staff Writer
The Texas Senate District 19 elects one member to the Texas Senate. Senators serve a four-year term and work with the Texas House of Representatives to draft and pass state laws. Their responsibilities include considering constitutional amendments for voter approval, approving the state budget, confirming gubernatorial appointments, and proposing and voting on laws and resolutions.
To qualify for the office, a candidate must be a U.S. citizen, a qualified voter in Texas and at least 26 years old. Candidates must also have lived in Texas for at least five years before the election and in the district they seek to represent for at least one year.
Texas Senate District 19 includes Texas A&M University–San Antonio and parts of South and Southwest Texas, including Bexar County.
Democratic Texas Sen. Roland Gutierrez is seeking re-election against three challengers.
Here is an overview of the four candidates on the ballot for the Texas Senate in District 19:
Roland Gutierrez (Democratic incumbent)
Roland Gutierrez is from San Antonio, Texas. He earned a bachelor’s degree from University of Texas at San Antonio and a J.D. from St. Mary’s University School of Law. Gutierrez founded the Gutierrez Law Firm, where he practices immigration law, and began his political career on the San Antonio City Council. He then represented District 119 in the Texas House of Representatives from 2008 to 2021 and was elected to the Texas Senate in 2020, winning reelection in 2022.
Policy Stances:
- Advocated for stricter gun safety measures and investigated response failures during the Uvalde school shooting.
- Supports stronger public education, after-school programs, and helped establish the Mission Branch Library and Texas A&M University-San Antonio.
- Prioritizes expanding access to affordable health care and lowering costs for Texas families.
- Emphasizes veterans’ services and mental health resources, including treatment and resiliency initiatives.
Adam Salyer (Republican)
Adam Salyer is a realtor and former Universal City council member from Universal City, Texas.
He is a 14-year veteran of the U.S. Army and National Guard; his military service was cut short after sustaining injuries. He also owns the Texas Seraphim basketball team of the American Basketball Association. His campaign website says his goals are to restore safety, opportunity and accountability in District 19.
After leaving the military, he served four years on the Universal City Council, where his campaign site says he worked directly with families, educators, business owners, and law enforcement.
He is running for the Texas Senate in District 19 to bring veteran-led leadership back to government.
Policy Stances:
- Protecting children by supporting law enforcement and restoring trust in them.
- Encourage economic growth by supporting small businesses, creating jobs, and creating local job opportunities.
- Providing more support for veterans.
- Improve education by retaining great teachers by restoring strong foundations for them.
Robert Marks Jr. (Republican)
Robert Marks Jr. is a retired U.S. Army veteran and previously sought for local office in his community, running for the Schertz City Council in 2024 after earlier local candidacies, including a run for mayor of Schertz.
Marks’ campaign emphasizes conservative principles and markets himself as a leader with “deep roots in Texas.” His campaign materials describe him as committed to Texas families and community service, though detailed professional biography outside of his military service and political campaigns is limited in public reporting.
Policy Stances
- Lowering taxes so families can keep more of their earnings.
- Allow families to have a stronger say in their children’s education.
- Improving and ensuring actual support for veterans.
Marcus Cardenas (Republican)
Marcus Cardenas was born and raised in San Antonio’s Southside. He attended South San High School and later Palo Alto College. After high school, he joined his family’s plumbing business to help support his loved ones and eventually founded Vertex Concrete, a concrete furniture business serving the district for more than a decade. In 2007, after his brother died in a motorcycle accident, Cardenas focused on supporting the family business instead of completing his college education.
Policy Stances:
- Advocates for investments in roads, bridges, water systems, and broadband to support thriving communities.
- Supports increased funding for schools, higher teacher pay, and policies that allow parents to have a meaningful role in education decisions.
- Opposes efforts to defund the police and favors strengthening penalties for violent crimes, emphasizing policies that protect residents while holding offenders accountable.
- Promotes policies that support small businesses, lower taxes, and create high-paying career opportunities for families.
