Perhaps some people will recall the "one Texas for all" theme from 2006. The theme was designed to emphasize a notion that we could achieve equal representation for all Texans in our state government. Today, this notion has become more of an imperative with an emphasis on Now.
If my 2006 campaign theme is not familiar to you, there are several explanations. Those explanations can wait until we meet. For now, allow me to introduce myself: my name is Maria Luisa Alvarado.
For the record, my experience in political campaigns began in 2002 as Campaign Manager for a US Congressional candidate in North Texas. In 2006, I won two Democratic primary elections to become the nominee for Texas Lt. Governor. After 15 months of campaigning, I lost the general election on November 7, 2006. In 2012, I ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. House to represent the 35th Congressional District (TX).
Our life experiences, just in the past ten years, have been filled with consequences from shifting policy priorities that do not include us. Most Texans did not grow up rich, I know. Most of us have taken what we earned and made the most of it - leaving behind a path for the next generations to follow. However, if this road that we have shared along the way is wiped out, we failed.
Today, I rise to return to the arena as a candidate in the 2026 elections. My commitment to you is that I will not fail to try and secure the road that we have been on and that future generations will walk upon.
After the votes are counted and the results announced, the voices that filled the campaign trail are often muted—overpowered by the noise of who won, who lost, and why. No matter the outcome from the office I seek in 2026, my campaign will be used to preserve and amplify those voices beyond election day.