Rick Astray-Caneda III
Rick Astray-Caneda III (Democratic Party) is running for election to the Travis County Commissioners Court to represent District 2 in Texas. Astray-Caneda is on the ballot in the Democratic primary on March 3, 2026.[source]
Astray-Caneda completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Rick Astray-Caneda III earned a Ph.D. from Florida International University in 2007. Astray-Caneda's career experience includes working in government.[1]
Elections
2026
See also: Municipal elections in Travis County, Texas (2026)
General election
The primary will occur on March 3, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
Democratic primary
Democratic primary for Travis County Commissioners Court Precinct 2
Incumbent Brigid Shea (D), Reese Armstrong (D), Rick Astray-Caneda III (D), and Amanda Marzullo (D) are running in the Democratic primary for Travis County Commissioners Court Precinct 2 on March 3, 2026.
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Republican primary
The Republican primary scheduled for March 3, 2026, was canceled.
Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Rick Astray-Caneda III completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Astray-Caneda's responses.
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- Affordable housing and affordable living - Healthcare with equity for all - Disaster Resilience and Preparedness - Representation for all by forming two new resident-advisory bodies to bring diverse voices of the people together to help govern Travis County
My experience includes the following:
- 12+ years consulting with state and local governments
- I’ve worked with the front-lines of governments facing rapid policy changes and built world-class contact centers serving over 1 million people, child welfare systems, and even a $19 million county COVID resilience grant for small businesses.
- PhD, Public Affairs; Master of Public Administration (MPA); and Bachelor of Arts, Political Science - Florida International University. Associate of Arts - Miami-Dade Community College.
- President, Friends of the David Powell Clinic - we provide direct and immediate support for people living with HIV served by the public health system and invest in systems change informed by SDOH.- Affordable Housing and Affordable Living: The living wage for a family of four in Travis County is around $117,000 per year - that does not go far with a median home price of $520,000. Fortunately, in 2025 the Texas legislature passed a law allowing for rapid conversion of commercial properties into affordable housing. This is a win-win-win because it puts housing into services fast, makes jobs for people converting the properties, and gets unused commercial properties off the books of local businesses. I'll be deeply focused on developing more affordable housing options, and ensuring when people are offered supportive housing, they get the services they deserve to succeed.
- Healthcare with equity for all: With the Trump administration attacking healthcare, we have to work harder than ever to build a healthcare system that promotes equity and resilience. With COVID vaccines now costing many $250 and many common childhood vaccines likely headed this way, we need to use county resources to get everyone free or cheap vaccines. As new Medicaid work requirements come into effect, targeting the poorest people, I will task our social service team with helping people stay enrolled in Medicaid. Finally, with ACA (Obamacare) plan premiums having skyrocketed, so many cannot afford insurance and this will hit underrepresented communities the worst. I will work closely with Central Health to close disparities.
- Representation for All = Equity and Justice for All: We need to elevate the voices of diverse communities in our county government. That's why on Day 1 in office I'll start working with community groups to form two commissions that will advise county government and municipalities within the county. The Travis County Quality of Life Commission will bring diverse people together to represent various underrepresented groups in our community and ensure everyone has a voice in county government. The Travis County Human Rights Commission will serve as an advisory board for law enforcement, including the county jail, bringing underrepresented groups to the table to help the County Commission exercise its oversight and policy authority.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on January 25, 2026
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