John Lira, 44, is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who lives in San Antonio and worked at the Small Business Administration and National Commission on Military, National and Public Service. He’s seeking the Democratic nomination in the newly redrawn 35th Congressional District.
Hear from the candidate
1. Please tell voters about yourself.
I am a fourth-generation Mexican American from San Antonio’s Southeast Side, I enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps at 17 and served 11 years, including two deployments to Iraq. Using the GI Bill, I transitioned from a Marine intelligence analyst to a student of political science becoming the first in my family to graduate from college (San Antonio College, University of Texas-San Antonio) and later earned a master’s from Carnegie Mellon University.
I continued public service in the U.S. House of Representatives as a legislative fellow, a management and program analyst at the Small Business Administration and AmeriCorps, and a national commission focused on military, national, and public service. I have dedicated his career to helping those who serve, from veterans starting businesses and to serving as the senior presidential advisor for Americorps. I am committed to supporting all those who serve their communities and country.
2. Briefly describe your top policy priorities.
Lowering the Cost of Living: Families in Texas-35 are being squeezed from every direction. Groceries, rent, gas, utilities, and health care cost more every month while paychecks lag behind. I’m running for Congress to protect the family budget and make sure working people can afford to live with dignity.
Increasing Access to Affordable Health Care: Health care is a basic human right. No family should face financial ruin because someone gets sick, and no worker should lose coverage because politicians refuse to act. Texas still has the highest uninsured rate in the nation, and too many families delay care because of cost.
Limiting the Use of Tariffs: Tariffs can have a legitimate, limited role in U.S. trade policy when they are used strategically to protect workers, critical industries, and national security. However, the reckless and unilateral use of tariffs by the current administration has created widespread uncertainty, raised costs for working families, and harmed American manufacturers, farmers, and consumers.
Increasing Better Pay, Stronger Jobs, and Retirement Security: Work should pay enough to build a life, retire with dignity, and support a family. Right now, too many jobs don’t. Stagnant wages, disappearing pensions, and rising costs have made economic security feel out of reach for working people. Increase the national minimum wage and protect workers’ rights to organize and collective bargain for fair pay and benefits, and safer working conditions.
Small Business and Opportunity: Small businesses are the backbone of our communities. I want to help spark a new generation of entrepreneurship so more people can build wealth, create jobs, and invest in their own neighborhoods.
Veterans and Military Families: When we send people to serve, we must keep our promises when they come home. Veterans and military families deserve real support including a fully staffed Department of Veterans Affairs to reduce wait-times, expand mental health services, and add medical facilities in rural communities.
Immigration Reform and Accountability: Immigration enforcement must be transparent, lawful, and constitutional. No federal agency should operate in secrecy or intimidate communities without accountability.
3. What should Congress be doing to rein in inflation and/or stabilize/boost the economy?
Affordability is the difference between stability and struggle for American families, and Congress has tools to lower costs and strengthen the economy right now. Health care, housing, and energy are driving costs for families. First, Congress must extend ACA subsidies, close the Medicaid coverage gap, cap insulin and lower drug prices, and allow Medicare to negotiate more medications.
Congress must expand affordable housing, support first-time homebuyers, and invest in energy efficiency and grid reliability to lower utility bills. We also need to protect and expand the Child Tax Credit and invest in small businesses and American manufacturing so families have more money in their pockets and stronger local economies. I support rolling back reckless tariffs that raise grocery prices and cracking down on corporate price gouging and junk fees, and increasing wages to make sure one job pays enough to live on. When we lower everyday costs and raise incomes, families gain stability and our economy grows.
4. What should Congress be doing to reform immigration laws?
Immigrants have always been essential to the strength of our economy and the dignity of work in this country. I believe any serious immigration reform must center workers and families, not corporate exploitation or fear-based enforcement. A fair system is one that provides a real path to citizenship and protects labor rights for all workers regardless of status. Congress has a responsibility to build an immigration system rooted in dignity, fairness, and shared economic growth for all working people.
5. At a time when the White House is asserting more control over national security and spending without Congress’ input, how would you handle disagreements over the division of power?
Our Constitution was designed to prevent the concentration of power in any one branch of government. When the White House tries to bypass Congress on national security or spending decisions, Congress must assert its constitutional role as a coequal branch. I believe disagreements should be handled through direct communication, bipartisan negotiation, and a clear review of the facts and legal authorities at stake. But cooperation cannot mean surrendering Congress’s responsibility to provide oversight and accountability.
Transparency is essential. The American people deserve to know who is working in good faith and who is avoiding responsibility. I will always try to find common ground first, but I will not hesitate to stand firm when executive overreach threatens our democratic checks and balances. Protecting the separation of powers is about defending the rule of law and ensuring decisions about war, security, and spending reflect the will of the people through their representatives.
6. The past year has brought tremendous uncertainty to many Americans surrounding rising health insurance premiums and lack of access to medical care near their homes. What do you believe Congress should be doing to make health care affordable and accessible to residents in your state?
Health care is a basic human right, and no working family should face financial ruin, job loss or delayed care because of gaps in our health system. The recent cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act threaten coverage for millions and undermine the health care workforce that our communities depend on.
I believe Congress must restore and strengthen these programs, lower costs for patients, and protect employer-based and union-negotiated health plans. We should move deliberately toward universal coverage while improving quality of care, strengthening staffing standards and ensuring health care workers are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.
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