Texas general election: November 3, 2026
Who is running for U.S. House, Texas District 37 in 2026?
Here are the candidates for U.S. House, Texas District 37 on the November 3, 2026 ballot. This race is on the ballot for voters in U.S. House District 37.
Positions come only from each candidate's own votes, official actions, statements and questionnaire answers, never from party labels. Every item links to its source.
Side by side
Each candidate's position on the issues this office handles, from their own record. Details and sources are in each profile below.
| Issue | Lauren B. PeñaRepublican | Greg CasarDemocrat |
|---|---|---|
| Income taxes | No public position | Raise taxes on the highest earners and corporations to pay for programsSaid · medium |
| Social Security | No public position | Expand benefits and fund it with higher taxes on the wealthyOfficial action · medium |
| Minimum wage | No public position | Raise it higher and tie it to the cost of livingOfficial action · medium |
| Healthcare | No public position | Government-run coverage for everyone (Medicare for All)Said · high |
| Abortion | No public position | Legal in most cases up to viability (about 24 weeks)Said · medium |
| Guns | Remove most restrictions; bearing arms is a rightSaid · high | All of that, plus ban assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazinesSaid · high |
| Immigration | Secure the border first; deport those with criminal records; keep legal immigration steadySaid · medium | A path to citizenship for most, and more legal immigrationSaid · high |
| Energy and climate | No single answer fits; see evidence | An aggressive shift to clean energy with firm deadlinesSaid · medium |
| Politicians trading stocks | No, ban it for members and their spousesSaid · medium | No, ban it for members and their spousesOfficial action · medium |
| Marijuana | No public position | Legalize it and clear past convictionsOfficial action · medium |
| Term limits | Yes, but longer limits that still allow long service, such as 12 years per chamberSaid · high | No public position |
| Campaign finance | No public position | Overturn Citizens United by amendment and add public financing of campaignsOfficial action · medium |
| Supreme Court reform | No public position | Add term limits and ethics rules, and expand the Court beyond nine seatsOfficial action · medium |
| Death penalty | No public position | Abolish it and use life without parole insteadOfficial action · medium |
| Qualified immunity | No public position | No, end it for police so officers or departments can be sued for rights violationsOfficial action · medium |
| Childcare and pre-K | No public position | Guarantee low-cost childcare for all families plus universal pre-KOfficial action · medium |
| Paid leave | No public position | Create a national paid family and medical leave program plus paid sick daysOfficial action · medium |
| Student loans | No public position | Cancel large amounts of debt and make public college tuition-freeSaid · high |
| AI regulation | Keep rules minimal so AI companies can innovate freelySaid · medium | Require testing or approval before advanced AI is releasedSaid · high |
| Transgender athletes | No, and Congress should set a biological sex rule nationwideSaid · high | No single answer fits; see evidence |
| DEI programs | Ban them and cut federal funds to schools and contractors that keep themSaid · medium | No public position |
| Aid to Israel | No public position | End itSaid · high |
| Aid to Ukraine | No public position | Restore strong U.S. aid and add tougher sanctions on RussiaVoted · high |
Lauren B. Peña
RepublicanPrivate citizen
Lauren B. Peña is a Republican from East Austin who describes herself as a human trafficking survivor, a mother of six and a constitutional conservative35. She founded Peña Legal Advocacy and has testified before the Texas Legislature on housing and welfare policy1. She won the May 2026 Republican primary runoff for the 37th District and faces Rep. Greg Casar in November2.
Where they stand
- Guns: Remove most restrictions; bearing arms is a right
Said · high confidence
- Her platform opposes federal red flag laws, universal background check mandates and any assault weapons ban, and supports constitutional carry nationwide. (2026) source
- Term limits: Yes, but longer limits that still allow long service, such as 12 years per chamber Said · high confidence
- Politicians trading stocks: No, ban it for members and their spouses
Said · medium confidence
- Her corruption issue page calls for banning members of Congress and their immediate families from trading individual stocks while in office and requiring blind trusts for all investments. (2026) source
- Her platform summary calls for requiring all congressional stock trades to be disclosed in real time. (2026) source
- Immigration: Secure the border first; deport those with criminal records; keep legal immigration steady Said · medium confidence
- AI regulation: Keep rules minimal so AI companies can innovate freely
Said · medium confidence
- Told The Daily Texan that Rep. Casar's AI bill is too restrictive; she said deepfakes and child sexual images should be restricted, but further limits would hurt poor families using AI to gain skills. (2026-09-24) source
- Energy and climate: No single answer fits; see the evidence below.
Said · medium confidence
- Her platform calls for eliminating federal regulations on Texas energy production, opposing Green New Deal mandates, expanding LNG exports and supporting nuclear power. (2026) source
- Nuclear power: No single answer fits; see the evidence below.
Said · medium confidence
- Her platform supports nuclear energy as a clean, reliable baseload power source. (2026) source
- School vaccines: No single answer fits; see the evidence below.
Said · medium confidence
- Her platform opposes federal vaccine mandates of any kind. (2026) source
- Safety net programs: No single answer fits; see the evidence below.
Questionnaire answer · medium confidence
- Told Ballotpedia welfare reform is her priority, saying the current system traps families in poverty and cuts off all benefits at once when a parent starts earning. (2025) source
- Transgender athletes: No, and Congress should set a biological sex rule nationwide
Said · high confidence
- Her parental rights issue page calls for federal legislation prohibiting biological males from competing in women's athletic categories at any institution receiving federal funding. (2026) source
- DEI programs: Ban them and cut federal funds to schools and contractors that keep them
Said · medium confidence
- Her parental rights issue page calls for prohibiting the use of federal education funds for Critical Race Theory curricula and DEI programming. (2026) source
No public position found on: Income taxes, National debt, Social Security, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, Abortion, Trade and tariffs, Foreign policy, Judges, Marijuana, Redistricting, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Supreme Court reform, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, Kids online, Birthright citizenship, E-Verify mandate, Religion in schools, Aid to Israel, Aid to Ukraine, China policy.
Greg Casar
Democrat · IncumbentU.S. Representative for Texas's 35th District (under the prior map); chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
Greg Casar is a Democrat who has represented Texas's 35th District since 2023 and is running in the redrawn 37th District after the Legislature redrew his old district in 2025116. Before Congress he served on the Austin City Council from 2015 and was policy director of the Workers Defense Project1. He chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus and won the March 2026 Democratic primary with 80.7 percent of the vote210.
Where they stand
- Healthcare: Government-run coverage for everyone (Medicare for All)
Said · high confidence
- Voted against the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act, a private-market bill on association health plans and PBM transparency. (2025-12-17) source
- Voted for restoring the enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits for three years. (2026-01-08) source
- His official site says health care should be a right, that Congress should guarantee health care for all, and that he is a proud cosponsor of the Medicare for All Act. (2026) source
- Cosponsored the Medicare for All Act (H.R. 3069) in the 119th Congress. (2025) source
- Abortion: Legal in most cases up to viability (about 24 weeks)
Said · medium confidence
- His official site says restoring abortion rights for all Americans is a top priority, that he opposes all efforts to block access to reproductive care, and that Congress must pass the Women's Health Protection Act. (2026) source
- Cosponsored the Women's Health Protection Act (H.R. 12) in the 119th Congress. (2025) source
- Guns: All of that, plus ban assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines Said · high confidence
- Immigration: A path to citizenship for most, and more legal immigration
Said · high confidence
- Voted against the Secure the Border Act, which funded border wall construction and tightened asylum rules. (2023-05-11) source
- Voted against the Secure America Act, which provides about $70 billion for immigration enforcement and border security. (2026-06-09) source
- His official site supports a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants, the American Dream and Promise Act, and the New Way Forward Act to limit deportations. (2026) source
- Student loans: Cancel large amounts of debt and make public college tuition-free
Said · high confidence
- Voted against overturning the Biden administration's broad student loan debt cancellation. (2023-06-21) source
- Voted against overturning the SAVE income-driven repayment plan. (2023-12-07) source
- His official site says he supports erasing student debt and making community colleges and public universities free, and cosponsors the College for All Act. (2026) source
- Energy and climate: An aggressive shift to clean energy with firm deadlines Said · medium confidence
- Income taxes: Raise taxes on the highest earners and corporations to pay for programs Said · medium confidence
- Aid to Israel: End it
Said · high confidence
- Voted against the $26 billion Israel security supplemental. (2024-04-20) source
- Voted against the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, which would require delivery of paused weapons to Israel. (2024-05-16) source
- As Progressive Caucus chair, wrote to colleagues that U.S. tax dollars could no longer be spent subsidizing Israel's military and said the party needs a new approach to Israel and Palestine. (2026-07) source
- Cosponsored several joint resolutions to block proposed U.S. arms sales to Israel. (2025) source
- AI regulation: Require testing or approval before advanced AI is released
Said · high confidence
- Introduced with Sen. Bernie Sanders a bill to ban artificial superintelligence and pause advanced AI development until a new federal Department of AI sets rules and a model review process. (2026-09) source
- Sponsored H.R. 10538 to establish a Department of Artificial Intelligence and regulate advanced AI systems. (2026-09-24) source
- Minimum wage: Raise it higher and tie it to the cost of living
Official action · medium confidence
- Cosponsored the Living Wage For All Act (H.R. 8555), which would raise the federal minimum wage toward 25 dollars an hour and tie it to the national median wage. (2026-04) source
- Politicians trading stocks: No, ban it for members and their spouses
Official action · medium confidence
- Voted against the Stop Insider Trading Act, a stock purchase ban for members that also carried voter ID provisions. (2026-07-22) source
- Cosponsored the STOCK Act 2.0 (H.R. 3779), which would bar members of Congress and their spouses and dependent children from holding or trading covered financial interests. (2025) source
- Marijuana: Legalize it and clear past convictions
Official action · medium confidence
- Cosponsored the MORE Act (H.R. 5068), which would remove marijuana from the federal list of controlled substances and provide for expungement of certain cannabis offenses. (2025) source
- Supreme Court reform: Add term limits and ethics rules, and expand the Court beyond nine seats
Official action · medium confidence
- Cosponsored the Judiciary Act of 2023, which would expand the Supreme Court to 13 justices. (2023) source
- Cosponsored the Supreme Court Tenure Establishment and Retirement Modernization Act of 2025, which would limit justices to 18 years of regular active service. (2025) source
- Cosponsored the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2025 (H.R. 3513). (2025) source
- Death penalty: Abolish it and use life without parole instead
Official action · medium confidence
- Cosponsored the Federal Death Penalty Abolition Act of 2023 (H.R. 1124). (2023) source
- Qualified immunity: No, end it for police so officers or departments can be sued for rights violations
Official action · medium confidence
- Cosponsored the Ending Qualified Immunity Act (H.R. 2847) in the 118th Congress. (2023) source
- Childcare and pre-K: Guarantee low-cost childcare for all families plus universal pre-K
Official action · medium confidence
- Cosponsored the Child Care for Every Community Act (H.R. 5658), which would create universal, comprehensive child care and early learning programs available to all young children. (2025) source
- Paid leave: Create a national paid family and medical leave program plus paid sick days Official action · medium confidence
- Social Security: Expand benefits and fund it with higher taxes on the wealthy
Official action · medium confidence
- Cosponsored the Social Security Expansion Act (H.R. 1700), which would raise benefits and apply payroll taxes to earnings above 250,000 dollars. (2025) source
- Campaign finance: Overturn Citizens United by amendment and add public financing of campaigns
Official action · medium confidence
- Cosponsored H.J.Res. 13 in the 118th Congress, a proposed constitutional amendment to let Congress and the states regulate campaign contributions and spending and enact public financing of campaigns. (2023) source
- Transgender athletes: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Voted · low confidence
- E-Verify mandate: No single answer fits; see the evidence below.
Voted · low confidence
- Voted against the Secure the Border Act, which would require all employers to use E-Verify. (2023-05-11) source
- Mandatory minimums: No single answer fits; see the evidence below. Voted · low confidence
- Aid to Ukraine: Restore strong U.S. aid and add tougher sanctions on Russia Voted · high confidence
- Safety net programs: No single answer fits; see the evidence below.
Voted · low confidence
- Voted against the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which added Medicaid work requirements and expanded SNAP work requirements. (2025-07-03) source
No public position found on: National debt, Business regulation, Trade and tariffs, Foreign policy, Judges, Redistricting, Term limits, Electoral College, Drug prices, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, Birthright citizenship, DEI programs, Religion in schools, China policy.
Last reviewed 2026-09-27. Spotted something wrong? Every claim links to its source so you can check it yourself.