Julián Villarreal is a materials engineer from San Antonio. He received his undergraduate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has a doctorate in material science and engineering from the University of Austin. He serves on CPS Energy’s Community Input Committee and ran for this seat in 2020 as well.
Hear from the candidate
1. Please tell voters about yourself.
I was born and raised in San Antonio and have lived nearly my entire life here. My family has deep roots in South Texas and Northern Mexico. I am 41 years old, and I reside on the Southside of San Antonio. I graduated first in my class from St. Anthony Catholic High School. I earned admission to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and was able to attend thanks to full need-based financial aid. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in materials science and engineering.
I went on to earn a doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin. I have professional experience as a scientist and engineer with expertise in fields such as metallurgy, nanoscience, and semiconductor manufacturing. I am a volunteer on the CPS Energy Community Input Committee as council district 5 representative, where I advocate for fair rates, renewable energy, and greater transparency.
2. Briefly describe your top policy priorities.
Dignified housing for all: I support direct investment in affordable housing to lower costs and combat homelessness; a ban on private equity firms owning residential properties; a Tenants’ Bill of Rights with greater protections for renters especially seniors, the disabled, veterans, and students.
Protect our environment: State authorities such as TCEQ and the Railroad Commission have let polluters off the hook for too long. As a result, Texas is facing a pollution crisis that affects our air, water, and land. I support strong legislation to reduce emissions and mandate that polluters pay to clean up their mess. We must also implement stricter protections for water resources including our aquifer, and we must begin the necessary transition to 100% renewable energy. I support a statewide moratorium on new data centers and stricter regulations on existing ones.
Civil Rights: I oppose the encroachment on our civil liberties especially by federal law enforcement such as ICE. We must end 287g agreements and repeal the anti-immigrant Senate Bill 4 passed in 2023. I also oppose mass surveillance and would fight for a ban on automated license plate readers (e.g. Flock cameras). I also support strict limits on the use of AI by law enforcement.
3. What would you like to see the legislature do to make Texas cities better places to live? In what ways could state officials work better with local officials?
For too long, the legislature has been captured by selfish corrupt interests that have defined the agenda at the Capitol in favor of corporations and the ultra-wealthy. We see too much hyper-partisanship designed to divide and distract us, and we don’t see enough solutions to the problems facing our communities.
The legislature also works part-time, meeting for only 140 days every two years, but they are able to raise unlimited amounts of political contributions from lobbying groups, corporate PACs, and mega-donors. In order to truly address the needs of ordinary Texans, we need the legislature to work full-time for the People and not special interests. I support a prohibition on corporate spending in elections, similar to legislation being enacted in Hawaii and Montana.
If elected, I will establish a permanent working group comprised of officials from all levels of government and local San Antonio residents, to meet for regular consultation, dialog, and problem-solving on local issues. We must be intentional and deliberate in working collaboratively to propose and implement solutions for the benefit of our community.
4. Texas has taken major steps to reshape its public education system, including allowing taxpayer dollars to fund private school tuition. What do you believe needs to happen to monitor the success of Education Savings Accounts, and to ensure every student still receives a quality education?
I oppose the TEFA program because it undermines the goal of universal, high-quality, public education for all students. Public schools across the state are facing budget deficits, and rather than properly funding public schools, the legislature decided to devote $1 billion to the TEFA voucher program. Initial reports indicate that most TEFA applicants were already enrolled in private schools, and there has been little to no benefit for low-income or rural families.
If elected, I support eliminating TEFA, and I will fight for fully funding high-quality public education for all Texas students. I support withdrawing from the state’s Rainy Day Fund in order to help fund public education.
5. Reducing the burden of property taxes is expected to be a major focus of the next legislative session. Describe your ideas for balancing the needs of a growing state with state leaders’ desire to rein in that major revenue source?
Texas has relied too heavily on property taxes to fund the government, and the tax burden on working class families is unsustainable. I believe we should implement a land value tax (exempting the improvement value) for most residential properties, which would be designed to reduce the costs of housing for ordinary residents as well as incentivize home improvements and greater density in urban areas.
I also support repealing the regressive state sales tax and replacing it with a progressive value-added tax. I think we should also explore other revenue sources such as a higher corporate tax rate, a tax on windfall profits, and a wealth tax on billionaires.
