State Senator, District 19
November 3, 2026 · State Senate District 19; Texas · State senate district · general
How do we calculate vote impact?
Vote impact = representation (how much weight one vote carries here, the smaller the district's population, the higher the representation) + decisiveness (how likely this race is to be close, based on past results and number of candidates).
Representation: High · 68 out of 100
Smaller districts give each vote more weight, and this district is small for its type. About 952,969 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(1,056,826 ÷ 952,969) ÷ ln(1,056,826 ÷ 909,299) = 68.8, comparing state senate districts in TX (grades: 66+ high, 33+ average, otherwise low)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No past results for this contest yet.
High representation + unknown decisiveness → High vote impact.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information and capped at "High".
State Senator is responsible for:
- Voting on state laws and the state budget
- Representing their district in the state senate
- Confirming certain governor appointments in many states
- Helping district residents deal with state agencies
Affected Areas: Environment and Public Health, Reduce Wealth Gap, Anti-Corruption, Government Efficiency, Healthcare Affordability, Government Spending Reduction, Public Safety and Crime Control, Housing Affordability, Social Programs and Welfare, Public Education Quality, Gun Control, Women's Reproductive Rights, Election Integrity, Personal Income Tax Reduction, Data Privacy, Civil Rights, Corporate Accountability, Public Infrastructure
Candidates
Marcus Cardenas
Republican · declared
Marcus Cardenas is a San Antonio small-business owner and the 2026 Republican nominee for Texas Senate District 19, his first run for public office. A native of San Antonio's Southside, he attended Palo Alto College before leaving to help run his family's plumbing business, and later founded Vertex Concrete, a concrete-furniture business serving the district for over a decade. He won the March 2026 Republican primary with about 44% and defeated Robert Marks Jr. in the May 26 runoff to face incumbent Democrat Roland Gutierrez in November.
Roland Gutierrez
Democratic · Incumbent · declared
Roland Gutierrez is a San Antonio attorney and Democratic politician who has represented District 19 in the Texas Senate since 2021, after serving in the Texas House of Representatives from 2008 to 2021 and, before that, on the San Antonio City Council. Founder of an immigration-law firm, he holds a political science degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a J.D. from St. Mary's University School of Law. His district includes Uvalde, and he became a prominent gun-policy advocate after the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting. He ran unopposed in the March 2026 Democratic primary and faces Republican Marcus Cardenas in the November general election.
Records: Anti-Corruption 1 for, Civil Rights 1 for, Election Integrity 1 for, Healthcare Affordability 2 for, Housing Affordability 2 for, Public Education Quality 1 for, Public Infrastructure 1 for, Public Safety and Crime Control 4 for, Social Programs and Welfare 1 for
Election sources
Source: sos.state.tx.us
Source: en.wikipedia.org