Candace Valenzuela

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Candace Valenzuela

Democratic Party

Candidate, Denton County Commissioners Court District 2

Prior offices:

Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District, At-large

Years in office: 2017 - 2019

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Elections and appointments

Last election

March 3, 2026

Next election

November 3, 2026

Contact

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Candace Valenzuela (Democratic Party) is running for election to the Denton County Commissioners Court to represent District 2 in Texas. She is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2026. She advanced from the Democratic primary on March 3, 2026.

Valenzuela was an at-large member of the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District in Texas. She assumed office in 2017. She left office on December 5, 2019.

Biography

Candace Valenzuela graduated from Claremont McKenna College. As of her 2020 campaign, her professional experience included working with special-needs students and being a youth mentor and tutor.

Elections

2026

See also: Municipal elections in Denton County, Texas (2026)

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

General election for Denton County Commissioners Court District 2

Incumbent Kevin Falconer (R) and Candace Valenzuela (D) are running in the general election for Denton County Commissioners Court District 2 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Kevin Falconer (R)
		Candace Valenzuela (D)

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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Democratic primary

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

Democratic primary for Denton County Commissioners Court District 2

Candace Valenzuela (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Denton County Commissioners Court District 2 on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Candace Valenzuela	100.0	16,366

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	There were no incumbents in this race. Source	Total votes: 16,366
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

Republican primary for Denton County Commissioners Court District 2

Incumbent Kevin Falconer (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Denton County Commissioners Court District 2 on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kevin Falconer	100.0	12,936

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. Source	Total votes: 12,936
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

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2020

See also: Texas' 24th Congressional District election, 2020

Texas' 24th Congressional District election, 2020 (March 3 Republican primary)

Texas' 24th Congressional District election, 2020 (March 3 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Texas District 24

Beth Van Duyne defeated Candace Valenzuela, Darren Hamilton, Steve Kuzmich, and Mark Bauer in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 24 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Beth Van Duyne (R)	48.8	167,910
		Candace Valenzuela (D)	47.5	163,326
		Darren Hamilton (L)	1.6	5,647
		Steve Kuzmich (Independent)	1.2	4,229
		Mark Bauer (Independent)	0.8	2,909

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 344,021
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Watch the Candidate Conversation for this race!

Democratic primary runoff election

Democratic primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 24

Candace Valenzuela defeated Kim Olson in the Democratic primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 24 on July 14, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Candace Valenzuela	60.4	20,003
		Kim Olson	39.6	13,131

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 33,134
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 24

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 24 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kim Olson	41.0	24,442
✔		Candace Valenzuela	30.4	18,078
		Jan McDowell	10.0	5,965
	Submit photo	Crystal Fletcher (Unofficially withdrew)	5.7	3,386
		Richard Fleming	5.1	3,010
		Sam Vega	4.5	2,677
		John Biggan	3.4	1,996

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 59,554
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• William Carl Fisher (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 24

Beth Van Duyne defeated David Fegan, Desi Maes, Sunny Chaparala, and Jeron Liverman in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 24 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Beth Van Duyne	64.3	32,067
		David Fegan	20.7	10,295
		Desi Maes	5.8	2,867
		Sunny Chaparala	5.6	2,808
		Jeron Liverman	3.6	1,809

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 49,846
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Deanna Maria Metzger (R)

Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 24

Darren Hamilton advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 24 on March 21, 2020.

		Candidate
✔		Darren Hamilton (L)

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2017

See also: Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District elections (2017)

Three of the seven seats on the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District board of trustees were up for at-large election on May 6, 2017. Two seats were up for election to regular three-year terms, and the third seat was on the ballot for a two-year term due to a vacancy on the board. In their bids for re-election to regular three-year terms, incumbents Nancy Cline and James Goode faced challengers Nic Rady, Derek Glatz, Victoria Kemp, and Candace Valenzuela. Incumbent Nancy Cline and newcomer Candace Valenzuela defeated their challengers. Tara Hrbacek defeated John DeLorme for the open two-year term.

Results

Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District, At-large General Election, 3-year terms, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Nancy Cline Incumbent	29.99%	4,156
Candace Valenzuela	22.85%	3,166
James Goode Incumbent	18.33%	2,540
Nic Rady	17.88%	2,478
Victoria Kemp	8.55%	1,185
Derek Glatz	2.39%	331
Total Votes		13,856
Source: Dallas County Elections, "2017 Joint Election," accessed September 20, 2017

Funding

See also: Campaign finance in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District elections

Valenzuela reported $3,327.72 in contributions and $2,838.77 in expenditures to the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District, which left her campaign with $488.95 on hand as of April 27, 2017.

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candace Valenzuela has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. Send a message to Candace Valenzuela asking her to fill out the survey. If you are Candace Valenzuela, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

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You can ask Candace Valenzuela to fill out this survey by using the button below or emailing candace@candacefor24.com.

Campaign website

Valenzuela's campaign website stated the following:

"Denton County is one of the fastest-growing regions in the country, and families deserve leaders who understand both the urgency and the opportunity in front of us. As County Commissioner, I'll work to lower costs for families, expand access to housing and affordable healthcare, and increase transparency on how our tax dollars are being spent."

— Candace Valenzuela

— Candace Valenzuela's campaign website (March 7, 2026)

Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

2020

Candace Valenzuela did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Valenzuela’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Responding to the Economic Impacts of COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic is a public health crisis first and foremost, but the economic toll of the pandemic is mounting, especially for the millions of Americans across the country who were already struggling to make ends meet. The divergence between the stock market and the actual situation the North Texas families are facing is untenable and highlights the worsening inequality in America today. The classic lethargic D.C. response won’t cut it this time around; just like communities all around America, North Texas families and small businesses need immediate access to real support and relief. In Congress, Candace will work to build a 21st-century social and economic support infrastructure that will be integral to rising from this crisis and limiting damage in future crises. In Congress, Candace will: Support the federal government directly compensating employers for keeping employees on their payroll and on health insurance, thereby reducing the cost burden on state and local governments and supporting employees and employers alike. Champion basic supports for families who were struggling before the pandemic and who are hurting even more now, including supporting a robust national paid family and medical leave. Demand the federal government step in to fill state and local budget shortfalls created by a decrease in sales tax revenue precipitated by the pandemic. The long-term consequences of these budget shortfalls threaten funding for education, Medicaid, and other vital programs. Increase the federal minimum wage to $15/hour. During this pandemic, “low-wage” workers have been some of the most likely to have been deemed essential; they risk their lives and keep our communities afloat during this, yet many of them don’t earn a living wage. Fight for an extension of emergency pandemic unemployment measures that augment traditional unemployment supports and are currently keeping thousands of Texas families afloat. Responding to the Public Health Impacts of COVID-19 On March 4, Michael Flor, a 70-year old Seattle resident, was admitted to the hospital with symptoms of COVID-19. When he was discharged on May 5, the heroic doctors and nurses who helped him survive lined up and cheered as he exited the hospital. Days later, Flor got his hospital bill, for more than $1.1 million. The story of Michael Flor is the story of COVID-19 in America: the strength of Michael and his family, the heroism of doctors and nurses who risked their lives every day to care for him, and the injustice of a health care system that leads even well-off folks to financial ruin. No one should go broke paying for healthcare in America, whether it be COVID-19 related costs or not. That’s why Candace supports a robust public health care option. In Congress, Candace will: Fight for a robust public health care option to ensure no American goes broke from the costs of medical care. Ensure testing for COVID-19 is free and widely available for all communities. Invest in basic and advanced science initiatives at the National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control; it couldn’t be more clear the threat that novel viruses and superbugs pose to our communities, and we need to dramatically enhance our ability to prepare and respond. Fighting for Criminal Justice Reform & Demanding Police Accountability Powerful protests against police brutality are sweeping the nation. Candace knows first hand the harm that the overcriminalization of black and brown bodies causes to individuals, families and communities - below, she has laid out a bold policy reform plan drawing on the expertise ofCampaign Zero, a national advocacy and research organization committed to ending the excessive use of force by police in our communities. Candace also understands that the frustration of protestors and their calls for reform go well beyond discriminatory policing. To create lasting structural change, we need a nuanced and multi-disciplinary approach to reform. Candace knows the complexities of racial inequities in our communities. As an educator, Candace saw how black and brown students as young as pre-K often received disproportionate punishments for acting up in class. As a child, Candace and her siblings experienced the same inordinately harsh and criminalized treatment that too many black and brown kids still face today. That’s why she worked to shut-down the school-to-prison pipeline while on the Carrollton-Farmers Branch school board and will continue to fight to nip injustice in the bud while in Congress. To achieve true racial justice in America, we need deep structural reforms across our criminal justice system, across our health care system, across our public housing system, and across our education system.That’s the agenda Candace supports, and that’s the perspective she’ll bring to Congress. In Congress, Candace will: Support the Congressional Black Caucus endorsed Justice in Policing Act of 2020 which would: ban the use of chokeholds; establish a national database to track misconduct and the use of force across police departments; end the use of no-knock warrants; ensure police are held accountable in criminal court by changing the mens rea standard for prosecuting police misconduct from “wilfulness” to “recklessness;” demilitarize the police by winding down the federal government’s 1033 program which currently allows local police departments to access military-grade weaponry at almost no cost; end qualified immunity, a civil liability shield for police officers that allows them to act with near impunity. Work with communities to establish alternatives to respond to mental health crises and other emergency response situations in which a social worker would be a more appropriate responder than an armed police officer. Build an all-civilian oversight structure for police departments to ensure that officers are held accountable by the public rather than investigated by their peers. Pressure local police departments to remodel their training and use of force policies to emphasize de-escalation by making access to federal grant funds dependent on reform and demand that de-escalation and cultural sensitivity re-certification be done periodically. Support efforts to require automatic investigation and review of all cases in which a police officer kills a person, and mandate that the results of the investigation be made available to the public. Create incentives, through federal grant funds, for police departments to recruit and hire a police force that is representative of the communities they serve. Work to end the role of money as a factor in the administration of justice by ending the cash bail system and eliminating private prisons. Defending a Woman's Right to Choose Candace is strongly pro-choice, but she wants it to be an actual choice. That means that we need to not just make sure that abortion is widely accessible (and that we get rid of the Hyde amendment), but that birth control is low-cost, if not free, and that there is access to affordable prenatal and postnatal care for both baby and mama. Texas has a high maternal mortality rate for women of color, and millennials in general are opting to have fewer kids later, if at all, because the cost of healthcare and child care are so prohibitive. Defending a woman’s right to choose does not stop at being pro-choice, which is why Candace champions policies like paid family and medical leave, universal pre-k and more. Candace will work with groups like EMILY’s List, Planned Parenthood and NARAL to ensure that a woman’s right to choose is protected. In Congress, Candace will: Defend a woman’s right to choose and Planned Parenthood Repeal the Hyde amendment Pass paid family and medical leave Expanding Job and Skill Training Texas is suffering from a serious “skills gap,” meaning we do not have enough skilled workers to fit the job demands of our economy. It is time that we recognize that a four-year college degree isn’t right for everyone. Career and technical education leads to dignified, well-compensated, and stable jobs that drive our economy forward. COVID-19 is shaking many American institutions to their core, but the pandemic is also forcing us to think about and grapple with what comes after. What better time to invest in job training for 21st-century careers in our K-12 schools. As a former school board trustee, Candace worked to expand vocational and STEM academies in the district’s K-12 schools. Candace knows first hand how this training empowers young workers and benefits the local economy. We need more federal investment in these programs to fill the current skills gap in Texas and across the country. In Congress, Candace will: Expand access to skills and vocational training for those who do not go to college Expand Federal funding to our K-12 schools to allow more schools to implement vocational and STEM training academies Comprehensive Immigration Reform We need to break through the partisan gridlock in Washington to pass comprehensive immigration reform that honors our nation's history as a nation of immigrants. Candace’s great-grandparents immigrated to the United States from Mexico and her great-grandfather fought in World War I. For generations, her family has been committed to serving our country and many other immigrant families do the same. Throughout our nation’s history immigrants have provided tremendous value both culturally and economically. In Texas 24, immigrants have more than $5 billion in spending power per year and contribute nearly $2 billion in local, state and federal taxes. However, our immigrant communities face tremendous adversity due to an antiquated, convoluted immigration process and divisive politicians. In dealing with the millions of people living in this country without documentation, Candace wants to provide a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers—the people brought to the United States as children and know no other home—as well as the rest of our undocumented resident population. We will all benefit from allowing undocumented immigrants to come out of the shadows and further participate in our economy and society as a whole. Candace believes we also need to reform our asylum laws so that asylum cases are just, humane and dealt with in an efficient manner. A common partisan political argument used by anti-immigrant lawmakers is that immigration leads to crime, but data shows this isn’t true. For immigrants who do commit violent crimes, we should not provide a path to citizenship. However, the overwhelming majority of immigrants are adding tremendous value to our society and have the opportunity to add more if we give them a path to citizenship. We are a nation of immigrants, and we need to recognize how inclusiveness has been and once again can be one of our greatest strengths. In Congress, Candace will: Create a pathway to citizenship Codify the DREAM Act Ensure that those crossing our border to seek asylum are treated fairly and humanely End family separation and make an effort to reunite families separated by the Trump administration. Stand up against immigration enforcement raids and make sure that local and state police do not have the authority that Federal immigration agents have Protecting Our Environment As global temperatures rise, we, as both a nation and as a planet, face the threat of rising sea levels and severe weather events, which are increasing in both frequency and ferocity. Climate change threatens our food production, our livelihoods, and our safety. The world’s leading climatologists have warned us that our chance to reverse the damage will soon pass. Our children could be left with a world shaken by climate-induced instability and without many of the wonders that we have taken for granted for too long. We need to do everything we can to combat climate change while we still have the chance. We need to focus on investing in renewable energy options, such as solar, wind, and geothermal, while massively reducing our dependence on coal, gas, and oil. Yes, even in Texas we can provide strong incentives for the business community to help combat climate change, alongside a massive investment from the federal government. Part of this investment must establish programs to train and retrain workers for jobs in the renewable energy industry. While many critics of plans for shifting our society to renewable energy sources and greener infrastructure often attack them as being too expensive, it is absolutely vital to remember that there will be a much greater monetary cost if we fail to halt climate change. As we are hit with increasingly severe weather events, the damage to our cities and towns will also increase, becoming more and more expensive to recover from. As food production suffers, feeding our families will cost more as well. Many people expect fighting climate change to come with serious sacrifice, but an investment made in moving to a more environmentally-friendly society actually means an influx of new jobs for a wide range of workers, more affordable energy, and a newer, safer infrastructure. We have the opportunity to make saving the planet benefit us economically as well as environmentally, and Candace knows we can make it a reality if we work together. In Congress, Candace will: Work to make substantive investments in green infrastructure, creating thousands of jobs for TX-24 in the process Significantly cut our carbon emissions in the next decade Encourage and provide strong incentives for businesses to help combat climate change Making Housing Accessible to All Having lived through a period of homelessness as a child, Candace saw first hand how hard it is to recover from losing a home, and she benefited from programs that helped her family escape homelessness. Today, too many families continue to struggle with homelessness and housing insecurity, and the programs Candace benefitted from aren’t sufficient. Over the last 30 years, rents have gone up while wages have stagnated, and Americans have seen greater and greater portions of their incomes eaten by housing costs. With our fast-growing population, Texas is facing an affordable housing crisis. Nearly half of Texans spend more than 30% of their household income on housing costs, exceeding the recommended level by experts. The largest obstacle we face is on the supply side, as there are just 30 units available per 100 Extremely Low Income (ELI) renters, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition. We are in desperate need of more affordable housing, and we need to remove unnecessary zoning laws that drive up the costs of construction. In the wealthiest nation in the world, Candace believes that no one should be without shelter. In Congress, Candace will: Increase our investment in and the supply of housing for middle-class and lower-income families(by making Section 8 housing vouchers an entitlement program; currently only 1 in 5 families eligible for affordable housing under federal rules actually has access to a unit because of affordable housing scarcity, Candace’s plan would tackle housing segregation and combat housing insecurity for families across Texas. Fight for protections against housing discrimination based on race, sexual orientation, marital status, or gender identity Preventing Gun Violence As is the case for far too many Americans, gun violence is a personal issue for Candace. As a mother of two young boys, she does not want to fear sending her children to school. As a former school board trustee, Candace has enacted policies at the local level to make our schools safer. But the inaction on the federal level to enact policies that the majority of Texans and Americans agree on, like universal background checks, ending the gun show loophole, and getting weapons of war off our streets, is unacceptable. Candace grew up in El Paso and often went to the Walmart where the recent mass shooting occurred. She had friends who were at the Walmart during the shooting, and while they fortunately were not harmed physically, the incident has taken a major toll mentally. We all live under the fear of a mass shooting happening any time we are in public and that must end. In Congress, Candace will: Fight to end the gun show loophole and pass red flag laws, pass universal background checks, and an assault weapons ban Make our schools safer Stand up to the gun lobby to pass these meaningful and necessary reforms Protecting and Improving Public Education As a former school board trustee, Candace knows first hand that our public education system is under attack. Corporate special interests have been undermining public education in favor of alternative models. As an educator, Candace knows that public education delivers the best results on a consistent basis. We need to view education as an investment in our people. We have the opportunity to educate and train the workers of the 21st century and grow our economy from the middle out, rather than the top down. True opportunity means giving every child the opportunity to learn and grow regardless of their zip code, and allow any one who wants to attend college to do so without being saddled with student debt for years after graduation. But college is not right for everyone, so we also need to invest in job training for 21st century jobs in our K-12 schools. As a former school board trustee, Candace has expanded STEM academies and job training in our schools and our community is already reaping the economic benefits. Candace wants to make those opportunities a reality for all children living in TX-24. In Congress, Candace will use her experience to: Fight for universal pre-K, because every child deserves a chance to get ahead. Research has shown time and again that investing in early childhood education not only benefits students, but helps families who are struggling Invest in our community colleges and vocational programs, because a job that pays the bills and then some should be available to everyone, not just people with a four-year degree Stand up to Betsy DeVos’s devastating agenda that strips vital funding from our schools Fight to restore title funding for special needs children Push to expand the free lunch program Invest in secure buildings and disaster relief plans for our public schools Make sure that our kids are happy, whole, and competitive on the world stage by helping schools to fulfill jobs needed to improve our cybersecurity and infrastructure among other highly necessary jobs. If we see a federal benefit to a type of training, we should invest in it Pay teachers higher salaries so that we can keep more of them in our schools for longer. That also means finding a way to remove their student loan debt Protecting Medicare and Social Security Medicare and Social Security provide millions of Texas seniors with critical health care benefits and retirement security. Texans have paid into them and have worked hard to earn these benefits. While Washington politicians threaten to cut these critical programs to finance tax cuts for the very wealthy, Candace is committed to protecting Medicare and Social Security for this generation and the next. Candace knows what it’s like to struggle to pay the bills and afford the high costs of medical care, and she will stand with Texas seniors to make sure our government keeps its promises to them. In Congress, Candace will: Oppose all cuts to our seniors’ Medicare and Social Security benefits Oppose privatization of either program Work with both parties to ensure both programs are adequately funded for future generations Protecting Our Democracy and Ending Political Corruption In the midst of this massive public health and economic crisis, working families in Texas are struggling, and Washington is asleep at the wheel. Dysfunction and corruption in our nation’s capital have left families and small businesses across America in the lurch, all while Wall Street reaps billions in bailout funds. High ranking officials in DC have even used their access to privileged information to game the stock market and make millions off this crisis. But what’s most frustrating? This isn’t a new story. For decades, special interests and dark money have corrupted our system and halted progress on major legislation that strong majorities of Texans agree on and need, from passing common-sense gun violence prevention laws to making prescription drugs more affordable to ensuring increased and equitable funding for our public schools. Texans deserve representatives who will fight against the dark money flooding into our nation’s capital. That’s why Candace is not taking corporate PAC contributions and is focused on reducing special interest influence in Washington. This will be an uphill battle, but the COVID-19 epidemic has put issues of corruption front and center. Texans are fed up, and it’s time for bold changes to the way business is done in Washington. In Congress, Candace will: Work to pass the For the People Act which will address voter access, election integrity, election security, political spending, and ethics for the three branches of government. Push for comprehensive campaign finance reform, including banning dark money groups from influencing our elections. Push for a constitutional amendment to overturn the Citizens United decision that legalized Super PACs. Ensure that all Texans can exercise their constitutional right to vote by pushing to restore the Voting Rights Act and opposing voter suppression efforts. Support efforts to end racial and partisan gerrymandering so politicians can no longer hand-pick their constituents Hold regular town hall meetings in the 24th district so constituents can ensure Candace is held accountable to her promises. Work to break-up behemoth monopolies that corrupt our government and harm our economy. Currently, monopolies capitalize on weak ethics rules to influence the regulation of the sector of the economy that they dominate. Consumers and small businesses are harmed when monopolists are able to corrupt public processes. Strengthening ethics and anti-corruption rules would limit monopolists’ hold over our democracy and help enable the antitrust and competition policy enforcement necessary to foster truly competitive, fair, and open markets. Making Healthcare Accessible for Everyone Candace was in a car accident in high school, resulting in chronic back pain. As a result, after graduating college, Candace was forced to work a second and third job just to afford her health care premiums and deductibles. The cost of the physical therapy, prescription drugs, and ongoing care she needed to get healthy put her into debt. This story is remarkable in that it is increasingly unremarkable: Far too many Americans struggle to afford the care they need, and that’s wrong. The Affordable Care Act made great progress, but health care access is still far too limited and health care costs continue to skyrocket in the U.S. The U.S. is the only developed nation that does not guarantee its citizens access to health care, and we pay more for our health care and our prescription drugs, per capita, by far. Candace believes that investing in health care for all Americans is not only the morally right thing to do, but it will also save taxpayers money long-term by making workers more productive, increasing preventive care so that we catch illnesses early, and negotiating prescription drug prices down. Candace believes that health care is a human right. In Congress, Candace will: Protect and work to expand the Affordable Care Act, which prevents insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions, and allows children to stay on their parents’ healthcare plans until they’re 26. Fight to lower the cost of prescription drugs by allowing Medicare to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies and buy cheap generic drugs from Canada. Implement a public health care option, which already has broad public support, so that we can expand health care access to the millions who do not have it while making health care more affordable for Americans who are struggling to pay their deductibles and co-pays. Protect people with pre-existing conditions and crackdown on surprise medical billing. Push Texas lawmakers to expand Medicaid, this is the biggest immediate action we can take to improve healthcare access and coverage for 1.5 million Texans. Hold prescription drug companies accountable for price gouging and the role they have played in the opioid crisis. Addressing Income Inequality and the Shrinking Middle Class Growing up, Candace’s family struggled with poverty and homelessness. They got back on their feet with the help of affordable housing, food stamps, and public education, but today, those lifelines to opportunity are under attack. As the cost of living in our country has increased over the last few decades, wages have remained stagnant, putting more and more families in the same position Candace was in as a child. We’ve invested insufficiently in education and job training and the federal minimum wage has not increased in well over a decade, while health care costs regularly send people into bankruptcy, and an entire generation has been crippled by student debt. Many Americans are working two or three jobs just to make enough money to survive. Candace will fight for Texans who are struggling to get by. In Congress, Candace will: Raise the minimum wage to $15/hour Provide relief to those with crippling student loan debt Make healthcare more affordable by providing people with a public option to buy into Medicare Work to expand affordable housing	”
—Candace Valenzuela’s campaign website (2020)

2017

Valenzuela highlighted the following issues on her campaign website:

“	Technological Literacy Right now we're facing a crisis in the American job force: We have many jobs for developers and computer scientists, but not enough people to fill them. We're importing workers and outsourcing jobs as a result. In order to make our students more competitive, we need to introduce coding earlier in our curriculum. Coding has entered many of our professions, and is likely to enter more as we spend more of our lives online. If we want our kids to be competitive, we need to acknowledge this and introduce basic coding as early as elementary school. Fact Based Education Despite the proclamations from the State Board of Education, Texas schools have a great deal of flexibility when it comes to choosing textbooks. As a school board member I will ensure that our curriculum emphasizes facts. Students will not learn that Moses was a founding father. Students will not learn that slavery was a 250 year vacation in the South. More Movement and Recess Children need to move around. It's a fact. The more they move, the happier, healthier, and more attentive they are. I want to not only allow the younger kids to have more frequent recesses throughout the day, but I'd also like to allow kids to stand or sit on yoga balls while completing their work. Commitment to Vocational Training Not all students want or need 4-year degrees. I am committed to supporting programs that support student achievement in vocational and college-track pursuits. Responsive to Today's Students Carrollton-Farmers Branch is a good district, but it can do better. Board members need to be in touch with the students we have now, not those that we had decades ago. As the district takes on more students of diverse backgrounds, we need to acknowledge the new challenges we face so we can address them head on. Term Limits The school board has no term limits. It's good to have committed board members, but keeping the same people in office will cause the district to become stagnant. In this rapidly changing world, we need people who are willing to take on new challenges in innovative ways.	”
—Candace Valenzuela (2017)

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