Jose Loya
Jose Loya (Democratic Party) is running for election for Texas Land Commissioner. He is on the ballot in the Democratic primary on March 3, 2026.[source]
Loya completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Jose Loya was born in Chihuahua, Mexico. Loya served in the U.S. Marine Corps. His career experience includes working as a safety management representative at a Valero refinery and serving as a union representative.[1]
Elections
2026
See also: Texas Public Lands Commissioner election, 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.
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Democratic primary
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Democratic primary for Texas Land Commissioner
Benjamin Flores (D) and Jose Loya (D) are running in the Democratic primary for Texas Land Commissioner on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Benjamin Flores  | |
 | Jose Loya | |
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| = 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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Jinny Suh (D)
Republican primary
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Republican primary for Texas Land Commissioner
Incumbent Dawn Buckingham (R) is running in the Republican primary for Texas Land Commissioner on March 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Dawn Buckingham | |
| ||||
| = 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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Davy Hobson (R)
Endorsements
Loya received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here.
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Jose Loya completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Loya's responses.
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- Public land and public funds belong to Texans, not special interests. As Texas Land Commissioner, I will bring transparency and accountability to how our land, energy resources, and disaster funds are managed. That means no sweetheart deals, fair market value from corporations, and decisions made in the public interest. Responsible land management strengthens public schools, protects communities, and ensures taxpayers aren’t left carrying the burden for corporate giveaways.
- I’m a Marine Corps combat veteran and union staff representative who has spent my life standing with working people. I know what it means to work dangerous jobs, rely on public schools, and navigate systems that don’t always work. As Chair of the Texas Veterans Land Board, I will expand outreach so every veteran knows about and can access earned benefits such as housing, loans, long-term care, and dignified burial while fighting for working families to have real representation in a statewide office.
- Strong public schools, protected land, and resilient communities are deeply connected. The Land Commissioner manages over 13 million acres of public land that fund public education through the Permanent School Fund. I will manage these lands responsibly to grow school funding without raising taxes, protect Texas beaches and coastal access for all Texans, and ensure disaster recovery is fast, fair, and transparent—especially for working families living along the coast. My focus is on protecting what belongs to Texans today and preserving it for future generations.
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 website
Loya's campaign website stated the following:
Platform
The General Land Office should be working to serve all Texans, not just the wealthy few. I’m running to make sure that no veteran has to struggle to get the support they deserve, no teacher has to pay for supplies out of pocket, and no Texan is left behind when natural disaster strikes. I’m a veteran, a parent of children attending public schools, and a union representative who fighters for workers across the state.
This is a campaign for all Texans, and I will fight for a better future for everyone.
Fighting for Safer Working Conditions
The Texas General Land Office manages 13 million acres of state-owned land. That means the Land Commissioner sets the rules corporations must follow when they operate on state land. As Land Commissioner, I will require stronger worker safety protections for any company operating on state lands than are required by state law. I will make sure that every lease has strict standards around drilling safety, equipment maintenance, waste handling, and emergency response–so that workers aren’t punished when companies cut corners.
Build a Stronger Energy Industry
After I returned home from the Marine Corps, working at the Valero refinery gave me the opportunity to provide for my family. Now, the Panhandle winds fuel a new era of renewable energy. Texas leads the nation in oil and gas and renewable energy production. As Land Commissioner, I will ensure that our energy resources are leveraged to ensure the greatest return from oil, gas, and renewable energy companies. We can keep the energy industry strong while generating revenue to fund our public schools, aid in disaster recovery, and protect our coastlines.
Protecting Texans When Disaster Strikes
Our state faces deadly disasters too often, and under the current Land Commissioner, recovery funds have been mismanaged. As Land Commissioner, I will oversee disaster recovery using the Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds to make sure assistance reaches the people hit hardest first—working families, not just the wealthy and well-connected. I will also prioritize disaster mitigation through the Community Development Block Grant – Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) program, strengthening communities and infrastructure to reduce the impact of future storms and floods. By improving transparency, speed, and fairness in both recovery and prevention, we can help Texans build stronger, safer, and more resilient communities.
Strengthening Texas Public Schools
I am a product of the public school system, my wife is a school district employee, and my children are attending public school. I am a proud supporter of Texas public schools.
The Permanent School Fund, supported by the Land Commissioner’s office through management of state lands and mineral leases, is one of the most significant endowments for Texas public schools. By growing this fund responsibly, we can strengthen neighborhood schools, support critical resources like textbooks and technology, and help guarantee lower borrowing costs for school districts. I will prioritize using PSF earnings to benefit students and teachers directly—not diverting them away from everyday Texans—so every classroom can prepare our next generation for success.
Honoring Our Commitment to Veterans
As a Marine Corps veteran who deployed twice to Iraq, I am committed to fighting for those who have served our country.
Texas Veterans Land Board
I am committed to expanding the Texans Veterans Land Board. Applying for benefits and receiving assistance should never feel like a full-time task. We must give our heroes the respect they deserve and ensure they don’t miss out on critical benefits, including competitive land and home loans, access to assisted living centers, and end-of-life planning programs.
I am committed to ensuring veterans receive the care and respect they deserve in state homes and resting sites. With a generation of veterans approaching retirement age, Texas’ state-run veterans homes are inadequate to meet the demand of this growing population.Expanding Homes and Cemeteries
I will create a Veteran Home Expansion Task Force made up of the staff of the Texas Veterans Land Board and stakeholders from the veteran and military family community to identify opportunities to expand existing homes, establish new ones, and expand offerings to include assisted living centers. No more forgotten facilities. Veterans deserve dignity in life and in death, and workers in these facilities deserve to be heard and treated with respect.
— Jose Loya's campaign website (January 16, 2026)
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
External links
Footnotes
