Heli Rodriguez Prilliman
Heli Rodriguez Prilliman (Democratic Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Texas' 12th Congressional District. She is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2026. She advanced from the Democratic primary on March 3, 2026.
Biography
Heli Rodriguez Prilliman earned a high school diploma from Stephenville High School in 2005. She earned a bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University in 2009. Her career experience includes being an entrepreneur and start up advisor. She is also a former nail salon and beauty school owner.[1]
Elections
2026
See also: Texas' 12th Congressional District election, 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 U.S. House Texas District 12
Incumbent Craig Goldman (R) and Heli Rodriguez Prilliman (D) are running in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 12 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Craig Goldman (R) | |
 | Heli Rodriguez Prilliman (D) | |
| ||||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 12
Heli Rodriguez Prilliman (D) defeated Kenneth Morgan-Aguilera (D) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 12 on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Heli Rodriguez Prilliman | 59.8 | 30,811 |
 | Kenneth Morgan-Aguilera | 40.2 | 20,713 | |
| Total votes: 51,524 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 12
Incumbent Craig Goldman (R) advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 12 on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Craig Goldman | 100.0 | 54,814 |
| Total votes: 54,814 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Brian Sprague (R)
- Semaj Swire (R)
Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
2024
See also: United States Senate election in Texas, 2024
General election
General election for U.S. Senate Texas
Incumbent Ted Cruz defeated Colin Allred, Ted Brown, Analisa Roche, and Tracy Andrus in the general election for U.S. Senate Texas on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Ted Cruz (R) | 53.1 | 5,990,741 |
 | Colin Allred (D) | 44.6 | 5,031,249 | |
 | Ted Brown (L) | 2.4 | 267,039 | |
 | Analisa Roche (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 1,906 | |
 | Tracy Andrus (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 919 | |
| Total votes: 11,291,854 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Dan McQueen (Independent)
- Mason Cysewski (G)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Texas
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Texas on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Colin Allred | 58.9 | 569,585 |
 | Roland Gutierrez | 16.6 | 160,978 | |
 | Mark A. Gonzalez | 8.8 | 85,228 | |
 | Meri Gomez | 4.6 | 44,166 | |
 | Carl Sherman Sr. | 3.3 | 31,694 | |
 | Ahmad Hassan | 2.3 | 21,855 | |
 | Steve Keough | 2.3 | 21,801 | |
| Heli Rodriguez Prilliman | 1.9 | 18,801 | |
 | Thierry Tchenko | 1.4 | 13,395 | |
| Total votes: 967,503 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Zachariah Manning (D)
- Aaron Arguijo (D)
- Soren Pendragon (D)
- John Love III (D)
- Sherri Taylor (D)
- Victor D. Dunn (D)
- Tracy Andrus (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate Texas
Incumbent Ted Cruz defeated Holland Gibson and Rufus Lopez in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Texas on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ted Cruz | 88.3 | 1,977,961 |
| Holland Gibson | 6.0 | 134,011 | ||
| Rufus Lopez | 5.7 | 127,986 | ||
| Total votes: 2,239,958 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Cody Andrews (R)
- Carlos Garza (R)
- Josiah Ingalls (R)
- Montgomery Markland (R)
Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for U.S. Senate Texas
Ted Brown advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. Senate Texas on April 14, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Ted Brown (L) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Rodriguez Prilliman in this election.
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Heli Rodriguez Prilliman has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. Send a message to Heli Rodriguez Prilliman asking her to fill out the survey. If you are Heli Rodriguez Prilliman, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.
Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?
Any candidate running for elected office, at any level, can complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Survey. Completing the survey will update the candidate's Ballotpedia profile, letting voters know who they are and what they stand for. More than 25,000 candidates have taken Ballotpedia's candidate survey since we launched it in 2015. Learn more about the survey here.
You can ask Heli Rodriguez Prilliman to fill out this survey by using the button below or emailing mom@helifortexas.com.
Campaign website
Rodriguez Prilliman's campaign website stated the following:
What is the biggest challenge your district faces and how would you address it from Washington?
The costs of healthcare and child care are too high – I'm advocating for a universal healthcare system and a universal child care system, all paid for by taxing the small group of billionaires who have taken advantage of American workers. I'd work with fellow congresspeople and senators to get this done. I'm not the first person who has pushed these types of policy ideas, but I'm doing everything I can to educate and convince others how and why it would help boost our economy and our well being as a country. People can't solve problems or innovate when they are burnt out and stretched thin. We've got to support working parents, young entrepreneurs, and small businesses with more affordable child care and healthcare.
What reforms, if any, would you support to increase accountability of social media platforms and artificial intelligence companies?
I worked in tech for more than a decade – seeing the good, bad, and ugly in the entrepreneur startup world. I saw the rise of unchecked social media and surveillance, backed by the same VCs and billionaires pushing unfettered AI development today. We must pass AI whistleblower protections, pass basic AI liability laws, restrict AI companions for kids, require mandatory AI testing and transparency requirements, and work with other governments globally to protect against AI's worst case scenarios. While we have mostly old folks in Congress addicted to their algorithms, it's important to elevate young leaders who can speak to these complex issues – like me!
Is the country headed in the right or wrong direction? Why?
While our country is currently headed in the wrong direction (groceries, child care, and healthcare costs remain high, alongside a lawless ICE backed by a lawless president), the arc of our country's history bends towards justice. What gives me hope is looking at the other times in history where we have survived big catastrophes and changed for the better. Our country was extremely divided in the 1860s during abolishment of slavery and reconstruction, and again in the 1960s/70s during the civil rights era, antiwar protests, etc. Young Americans from all shades and backgrounds continue to rise up and push for change and new leadership – we're doing that again now!
What measures would you advocate to strengthen America’s economy?
Honestly, our financial and economic interests would work themselves out if we adequately funded childcare, healthcare, education, and mental health care for the American people instead of funding never ending wars and mass surveillance on citizens.
We need to create more access to affordable childcare by investing in and creating better paying jobs for caregivers so more parents can go back to work. We need universal healthcare that is not attached to an employer so small businesses can finally attract more workers. We also need to invest small business capital in a wide variety of young entrepreneurs instead of only investing in those who already come from wealthy backgrounds and lots of assets.
It's hard for us to lead around the world and innovate when we're all burnt out and stretched thin at home. When people feel more optimistic and less strung out in life, they perform better at work, can creatively solve problems, start new businesses, etc.
What is the greatest foreign threat to America now, and how should we address it?
Our greatest foreign threat is our democratic allies around the world abandoning us (or worse, attacking us!) because of the lawless actions of president Trump and the people who continue to support him. We address it by removing Trump from office, removing congresspeople and senators who support him from office, and holding them accountable for their crimes against humanity.
What is the greatest domestic threat, and how should we address it?
Our greatest domestic threat is Donald Trump, his admin, and the congresspeople and senators that continue to allow him to sow chaos, death, and destruction for their own financial benefit.
Americans are increasingly concerned about the affordability of housing and raising children. What do you tell Americans who fear they are being left behind?
I'm running so we can pass universal healthcare and child care for ALL (paid for by wealth taxes on billionaires) to help every American cut their costs.
Are you satisfied with the Trump administration’s approach to the Russia/Ukraine war? What would you do differently?
I am not satisfied with the Trump administration's approach to Russia/Ukraine, what would I do differently? I wouldn't bow to Putin's nonsense and I would support the Ukrainian people. Putin tried to take land that wasn't his, and he must pay reparations for that.
Should the Trump administration have intervened in Venezuela? How should we advance American interests in Latin America?
No. This has never worked! We advance American interests with diplomacy, not violence and cynicism.
Why should voters choose you over your opponent(s)?
My biggest qualifications are:
I’m a real life working mom who was forced out of the workforce because of our country's lack of affordable childcare and I'm committed to fighting for universal childcare and healthcare for all.
I’m a Mexican American female raised in rural Texas that experienced, first hand, what happens when communities lack health care, reproductive education, and history education that is inclusive of our diverse population (hint: addiction, child abuse, teen pregnancies, domestic violence, racism, homophobia, xenophobia, etc);
I’ve helped thousands of local business owners, in Texas and across the country, grow their budding companies with my previous work at Fivestars (now SumUp) and fueled entrepreneurial growth that created new jobs and boosted our economy;
I’ve helped build tech startups over the past decade and understand the importance of regulating social media and AI development, so technology innovation encourage the best of us instead of the worst.
— Heli Rodriguez Prilliman's campaign website (February 10, 2026)
2024
Heli Rodriguez Prilliman did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
