Claudia Ordaz, candidate for Texas House District 79
Name: Claudia Ordaz
Age: 40
Party: Democratic
Occupation: Texas State representative for House District 79
Relevant Experience
I have spent much of my career in public service working at the local, state and federal levels. Before being elected to the Texas House, I served on City Council and served as Mayor Pro Tempore, where I worked on issues affecting working families, public safety, infrastructure, animal welfare and economic development.
I was first elected to the Texas House in 2020 and currently represent House District 79, which includes much of east and northeast El Paso, El Paso International Airport and Fort Bliss. In the Legislature, my work has focused on women’s health care, public education, economic and workforce development, small businesses, environmental issues and animal welfare.
I have learned that being an effective legislator takes more than having good ideas, it requires understanding how to navigate the legislative process, building relationships, listening to different perspectives and finding ways to bring people together to get things done. I have worked hard to build that experience, and it has helped me turn priorities into legislation. There is always more to learn, but I believe that experience has made me a stronger advocate for El Paso and helped ensure our community has a voice in Austin.
Personal
Claudia Ordaz represents Texas House District 79, encompassing east and northeast El Paso, which includes the El Paso International Airport and Fort Bliss, the country’s largest installation in the U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM). First elected to the Texas House in 2020, she serves as Vice Chair of the House Committee on Environmental Regulation and as a member of the Committee on Trade, Workforce & Economic Development.
Since arriving at the Capitol, Claudia has focused on turning the needs she hears about at home into meaningful legislation.
When small businesses were struggling to survive the economic fallout of COVID-19, she passed legislation creating new ways for Texas' smallest businesses to access capital, securing over $500 million in funds. She has continued that work by strengthening workforce programs in El Paso, expanding apprenticeship opportunities and helping position the region for new jobs in industries like advanced manufacturing and aerospace.
Some of Claudia's most meaningful work has centered on women's health. In a post-Roe Texas, she passed the only legislation allowing women to receive up to a 12-month supply of prescribed contraception. She has since taken on some of the difficult issues women and families face navigating the health care system, authoring legislation to protect access to IVF, improve transparency in midwifery and require hospitals to offer emergency contraception to survivors of sexual assault. Her work earned her recognition as a “Legislative Champion” from the Texas Women's Healthcare Coalition.
Her legislation has also been shaped by families whose experiences exposed gaps in state law. She passed legislation improving early-learning opportunities for young children with disabilities and previously created a family leave program that allows public employees to help one another during major life events.
Anyone who knows Claudia knows that animals have always had a special place in her heart. Her advocacy began while serving on the El Paso City Council and followed her to Austin. Most recently, she passed Pancho's Law, strengthening Texas' animal cruelty laws when criminal negligence seriously injures or kills a family pet. The law was inspired by a Texas family's devastating experience losing their dog, Pancho, and discovering how little accountability existed under state law. She was awarded the “Humane Hero” distinction by the Texas Humane Legislative Network for her work in advancing animal welfare reform laws.
At the center of all of it is El Paso. Claudia is a proud graduate of El Paso public schools and the University of Texas at El Paso. She is a proud homeowner and parishioner at St. Raphael's Catholic Church. Outside of public service, she enjoys spending time with her husband Jacob, their rescue dogs, and watching anything from the Game of Thrones universe.
If you are elected, what are your priorities for El Paso?
This coming legislative session, public education will remain one of my top priorities. I am a product of El Paso public schools and my mother was a retired educator, so this issue is personal to me. I will continue fighting for increased public school funding, better support for teachers and school employees, and additional resources for students with disabilities.
I also want to continue working on childcare and early childhood education. Childcare is not only a major expense for families, it is a workforce issue. When parents cannot find or afford care, they may have to cut their hours or leave the workforce altogether. I want to build on my work from last session and pursue an El Paso program that will bring employers, workforce partners and childcare providers together to expand the availability of quality, affordable care for parents working in non-traditional working hours.
Women's health will continue to be a major focus of my work. I want to address some of the very real experiences women have in our health care system, from pain management during IUD procedures and informed consent and patient protections during sensitive exams, to fertility care and maternal health. I am also exploring a mobile reproductive and maternal health unit that could bring services directly to women in El Paso and surrounding communities, as well as ways Texas can better support veterans and military families facing infertility.
Growing El Paso's economy and creating good-paying jobs will remain a priority, but I also want to make sure economic development benefits the community as a whole. As major projects like data centers come to our region, we need to protect our water and energy resources and ensure companies receiving tax incentives live up to the commitments they make to our community.
Animal welfare will remain another priority. I want to build on the work we have already done strengthening animal cruelty laws and look for creative ways to help our overwhelmed shelters, including exploring a dedicated Texas lottery ticket that could generate additional funding for animal shelters.
Across all of these issues, my goal is to work on the things El Pasoans actually deal with in their everyday lives and make sure our community receives the attention, resources and investment from the state that it deserves.
What's your position on birthright tourism?
Birthright tourism is primarily governed by federal immigration and visa policy, not the State of Texas.
The persistence of the question on birthright citizenship is grounded in an anti-immigrant movement and rhetoric, which has very real consequences. From the Walmart shooting that our community tragically experienced to the impact on access to women’s healthcare that is limited because of fear this question poses very dangerous impacts.
As someone who represents a border community, I believe we should enforce our laws while also having an immigration system that is practical, humane and recognizes the realities of communities like El Paso. Border communities should be part of serious policy discussions, not used as political talking points.
What are your plans to ensure transparency and make sure you are accessible to constituents?
Being accessible doesn't begin or end during an election. My district office is here in El Paso, and constituent services are one of the most important functions of our office.
My staff regularly helps residents navigate state agencies, including issues involving Medicaid and SNAP benefits, unemployment benefits and Child Protective Services. We also meet with neighborhood groups, educators, businesses, health care providers and constituents to hear directly about the issues affecting them.
I also try to make it easy for people to know what I'm working on and how to reach me. Constituents can find me on social media, where I regularly share updates about my work in Austin and throughout the district, upcoming events and issues affecting our community. I also provide legislative updates through newsletters and spend time throughout the district meeting directly with the people I represent.
Most importantly, I want people to feel comfortable reaching out to me and my office.
What makes you the best candidate?
El Paso is home, and representing the community that raised me is something I never take for granted. I have had the opportunity to serve our community on City Council and now in the Texas Legislature and that experience has taught me not only how government works, but how to navigate it to get things done for the people I represent.
I have worked hard to build relationships in Austin while staying connected to the people back home. I listen, I try to find common ground, and I am willing to work with people I may not always agree with if it means delivering something meaningful for El Paso.
But I also believe this job is about much more than passing legislation. Sometimes it is helping a family who has spent weeks trying to get an answer from a state agency. Sometimes it is sitting down with teachers, small business owners or neighborhood leaders and simply listening. And sometimes it is making sure El Paso has a seat at the table when decisions are being made hundreds of miles away.
I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish together, but I know there is still much more work to do. I love this community, I know how to fight for it, and I would be grateful for the opportunity to continue serving the people of El Paso.
