Roland GutierrezServing

Roland Gutierrez

State SenateDemocrat

TX-SD19 State Senate

Age 55·Mexican-American (son of Mexican immigrant father who arrived in the U.S. at age 17; mother from Freer in South Texas, worked as itinerant farmer)·Texas State Senator, SD-19 (2021-present)

Why This Race Matters

Roland Gutierrez is running against Marcus Cardenas (R), Robert Marks Jr. (R), Adam Salyer (R) in GOP primary; Gutierrez unopposed in Dem primary.

Gutierrez is the most prominent Democratic voice on gun reform in the Texas Legislature and a national figure after Uvalde. SD-19 is a 66% Hispanic majority-minority district spanning 15 counties and 35,000+ square miles from San Antonio to the border. His 2026 re-election is the first test of whether Republicans can flip this historically Democratic seat in a Trump-aligned cycle.

Gutierrez flipped SD-19 in 2020 and ran for U.S. Senate in 2024 (finished 2nd to Colin Allred with 16.6% in the Dem primary). Three Republicans are competing for the nomination: Marcus Cardenas, Robert Marks Jr., and Adam Salyer. The district was already the subject of research for candidate Marcus Cardenas, who is also in this database.

Key dates to watch: Primary on March 3, 2026 and General Election on November 3, 2026.

About

Roland Gutierrez is a Democratic State Senator representing Texas Senate District 19 since 2021 and an immigration attorney from San Antonio. The son of a Mexican immigrant father, he was born and raised in San Antonio's Mission San Jose neighborhood. He became a leading national voice for gun reform after the May 2022 Robb Elementary School massacre in Uvalde, which is in his district. He filed 21 bills in honor of the 21 victims, championing raising the minimum age to purchase semi-automatic rifles, extreme risk protective orders, and a violence compensation fund for victims' families. In 2024 he ran for U.S. Senate, finishing second to Colin Allred in the Democratic primary with 16.6%. He is running unopposed in the 2026 Democratic primary for re-election to SD-19.

Family & Heritage

Son of a Mexican immigrant father who came to the United States at the age of 17 and a mother from Freer in South Texas who worked as an itinerant farmer. Born and raised in San Antonio. Lives in the Mission San Jose neighborhood with wife Sarah and daughters Izabella and Victoria. Active members of Mission San Jose Parish.

Political Career

Before Politics

Founder and President, Gutierrez Law Firm (immigration law, San Antonio); admitted to Texas State Bar (1998) and U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas (2002)

Education

Central Catholic High School, San Antonio (1989); B.A. Political Science, University of Texas at San Antonio (1995); J.D., St. Mary's University School of Law (1998)

Key Issues & Priorities

*Gun violence prevention (21 bills filed for 21 Uvalde victims)
*Raising minimum age to purchase semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21
*Ending qualified immunity for law enforcement
*Veteran mental health and suicide prevention
*Rural community support
*Immigration reform

Notable Legislation

SB 728 - Raise Minimum Age for Semi-Auto Rifles

Raise minimum age to buy semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21

advanced through committee

SB 837 - Extreme Risk Protective Orders

End Qualified Immunity Bill

End qualified immunity for law enforcement in Uvalde context

Violence and Compensation Fund

Fund for victims of school violence funded by 5 cents per round of ammunition and $50 per firearm

Farmer Suicide Prevention Hotline

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