Julian Villarreal (Texas Senate candidate)

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Julian Villarreal

Green Party

Candidate, Texas State Senate District 26

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Next convention

April 11, 2026

Education

Bachelor's

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2007

Personal

Birthplace

San Antonio, TX

Religion

Catholic

Profession

Scientific consultant

Contact

Campaign website

Julian Villarreal (Green Party) is running for election to the Texas State Senate to represent District 26. He is running in the Green Party convention on April 11, 2026.^[source]

Biography

Villarreal was born in San Antonio, Texas. He graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a bachelor's degree in 2007. His professional experience includes working as a scientific consultant. He has also worked as a lecturer in physics and researcher at UTSA. Villarreal has been affiliated with the Bexar County Green Party and Climate Action SA.

Elections

2026

See also: Texas State Senate elections, 2026

General election

The primary will occur on April 11, 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 Texas State Senate District 26

Incumbent José Menéndez (D) is running in the Democratic primary for Texas State Senate District 26 on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		José Menéndez

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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Green Party convention

Green convention for Texas State Senate District 26

Julian Villarreal (G) is running in the Green Party convention for Texas State Senate District 26 on April 11, 2026.

		Candidate
		Julian Villarreal

---

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

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2020

See also: Texas State Senate elections, 2020

General election

General election for Texas State Senate District 26

Incumbent José Menéndez defeated Julian Villarreal in the general election for Texas State Senate District 26 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		José Menéndez (D)	80.0	199,829
		Julian Villarreal (G)	20.0	50,004

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 249,833
= 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.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas State Senate District 26

Incumbent José Menéndez advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas State Senate District 26 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		José Menéndez	100.0	67,062

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 67,062
= 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.
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Green convention

Green convention for Texas State Senate District 26

Julian Villarreal advanced from the Green convention for Texas State Senate District 26 on April 18, 2020.

		Candidate
✔		Julian Villarreal (G)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= 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.

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

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2020

Julian Villarreal completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Villarreal's responses.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in San Antonio. My family has deep roots in south Texas and northern México. I am a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where I earned my bachelor's degree in materials science and engineering. I also possess a PhD in materials science and engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. I have worked as a scientific consultant, as well as a lecturer and researcher at the University of Texas at San Antonio. I serve as an election judge and volunteer deputy registrar in Bexar County. I am also represent the Bexar County Green Party as a member of the Climate Action SA environmental coalition that advocates for just climate action and a rapid transition to 100% clean renewable energy.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I am running for the Texas Senate in order to give voters a real progressive choice and raise awareness of key issues, such as climate change, that affect us all, but which the Texas Legislature has largely ignored.
• Unlike my opponent, I do not accept any political contributions from corporate PACs, lobbyists, wealthy donors, or special interest groups. If elected, I promise never to place the interests of the few over the good of the many, and I will push for campaign finance reforms such as a cap on political contributions.
• I ask for the support of the voters so that together we can show the two corporate parties that the issues matter and that we will no longer accept the complacency of elected officials on critical issues, such as climate change. The People have the power and our representatives must listen to us, not their donors.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

If elected, I will be a strong advocate in the Texas Senate for just climate action and environmental justice, and I will sponsor legislation to ensure that Texas makes a rapid and just transition to 100% clean renewable energy. I will work for a just recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic that includes an expansion of Medicaid and increased funding for healthcare so that millions more Texans can enjoy affordable, quality healthcare. I will oppose any efforts to undermine or cut funding to our public schools. I will advocate for high-quality, tuition-free public education for all Texans from pre-K thru university.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

I believe the senator for district 26 must use their office to serve the people, to magnify their voices, especially those who have been ignored and underserved. Some of the poorest communities in Bexar County are located in district 26. Our senator must do everything possible to empower those who have the least power, including the poor, the disabled, children, Black, and Indigenous people. Our senator must work to educate the people about key issues so that they are informed about how the Legislature impacts them. Our senator must also work to undue the decades of harm caused by racial and economic inequalities. We have a part-time legislature and oftentimes our senator is nowhere to be found when it comes to key issues affecting people's lives. If elected, I will continue working in the community and for the community to build more grassroots people-power.

What legacy would you like to leave?

As an educator who has taught hundreds of students of the years, I believe my legacy is having helped my students succeed in their education and advance in their knowledge of science. Beyond the education needed for a career, I have tried to instill in my students a scientific curiosity and love of learning that will serve them well for their whole lives.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My very first job was as a library assistant at the San Antonio Public Library. I was in high school at the time and it was a summer job. I love libraries and reading, so it was natural fit for me.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

"Mi regalo más bonito" by La Ross María

Every state besides Nebraska has two legislative chambers. What do you consider the most important differences between the legislative chambers in your state?

The most important difference between the Texas House and Senate is that the latter is presided over by the lieutenant governor who has broad power to control which bills advance and which fail. Unfortunately the current lieutenant governor has used his power to advance extremist legislation such as SB 4.

What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?

Climate change. Texas already suffers from some of the worst, most costly natural disasters in the United States. We must act rapidly to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to clean renewable energy for all sectors. We need a just transition that places the needs of the most vulnerable communities first. Such a transition can also be a catalyst for economic recovery and renewal for the poorest communities in the state by creating millions of good paying jobs, as well as help us revitalize aging infrastructure.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

I favor an independent citizen commission for redistricting. We must take redistricting out of the hands of partisan politicians and give it to the people.

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.

Campaign finance summary

Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from OpenSecrets. That information will be published here once it is available.

See also

2026 Elections

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Government

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Newsletters

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External links

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Candidate

Texas State Senate District 26

Website

Footnotes

[show]

Current members of the Texas State Senate

Senators

District 1

Bryan Hughes (R)

District 2

Bob Hall (R)

District 3

Robert Nichols (R)

District 4

Vacant

District 5

Charles Schwertner (R)

District 6

Carol Alvarado (D)

District 7

Paul Bettencourt (R)

District 8

Angela Paxton (R)

District 9

Vacant

District 10

Phil King (R)

District 11

Mayes Middleton (R)

District 12

Tan Parker (R)

District 13

Borris Miles (D)

District 14

Sarah Eckhardt (D)

District 15

Molly Cook (D)

District 16

Nathan Johnson (D)

District 17

Joan Huffman (R)

District 18

Lois Kolkhorst (R)

District 19

Roland Gutierrez (D)

District 20

Juan Hinojosa (D)

District 21

Judith Zaffirini (D)

District 22

Brian Birdwell (R)

District 23

Royce West (D)

District 24

Peter Flores (R)

District 25

Donna Campbell (R)

District 26

José Menéndez (D)

District 27

Adam Hinojosa (R)

District 28

Charles Perry (R)

District 29

César Blanco (D)

District 30

Brent Hagenbuch (R)

District 31

Kevin Sparks (R)

Republican Party (18)

Democratic Party (11)

Vacancies (2)