Marcos Velez

Marcos Velez's career experience includes working as an area operator in Texas refineries. He has been a member of United Steelworkers.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Marcos Vélez is a candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Texas and the Assistant District Director of the United Steelworkers, representing more than 200,000 workers across Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Raised in Houston by his single mother and working in his grandfather’s diesel shop, Marcos later worked in the oil industry before rising to union leadership, where he fought for safer workplaces, higher wages, and job security. He is running for Lieutenant Governor to lower the cost of living, raise wages and rebuild the middle class, and strengthen public education and workforce pathways so every Texan has a fair shot at economic security.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

No one who works full-time in Texas should live in poverty. Our minimum wage hasn’t kept up with the real cost of housing, food, and childcare, and working families are paying the price. I support significantly raising the minimum wage and indexing it to inflation so pay keeps up with costs. As a union leader, I’ve negotiated higher wages and stronger benefits against powerful corporations. As Lieutenant Governor, I’ll fight to make sure every worker in Texas earns a living wage.Texans are working harder than ever and still falling behind. Housing, groceries, childcare, utilities, and healthcare costs are crushing families. We need immediate relief and long-term reform: expand affordable housing, strengthen tenant protections, rein in monopolistic utilities, lower out-of-pocket healthcare costs, and ensure public dollars serve people. Lowering the cost of living isn’t about slogans; it’s about rebuilding an economy that works for working families.Texas should lead the nation in building direct pathways from high school to high-wage careers. I will prioritize expanding registered apprenticeships, strengthening partnerships between public schools, community colleges, unions, and industry, and investing in career and technical education that leads to real credentials and real paychecks. As a union leader, I’ve seen how apprenticeships create skilled workers, higher wages, and stable families. We must scale those proven models statewide.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am deeply passionate about protecting and expanding the right of workers to organize and collectively bargain. The ability to join together in a union is one of the most effective tools working people have to raise wages, improve safety, and secure dignity on the job. That’s why I support the PRO Act and similar reforms that strengthen workers’ rights and hold employers accountable when they interfere with organizing efforts. I’ve seen firsthand how collective bargaining transforms lives, and I believe restoring the right to organize is essential to rebuilding the middle class in Texas.

Campaign websiteVelez's campaign website stated the following:Lowering Costs for Texas FamiliesTexans are paying more for groceries, housing, childcare, transportation and insurance than ever before. Families should not need multiple jobs to stay afloat. I will work to bring down everyday costs and deliver real property tax relief without taking money from our public schools.Raising Wages and Rebuilding the Middle ClassFor more than a decade I have successfully fought for higher pay, better benefits, and safer workplaces against some of the largest corporations in the United States. Texas needs a wage floor that respects the value of work and policies that lift working families instead of corporate profit margins. Adult children should not have to live with their parents into their 40s due to soaring costs and private equity purchasing single family homes.Supporting Public Schools and Respecting TeachersTexas cannot thrive while its classrooms are underfunded. I will fully fund public education, raise teacher pay, and stop the political attacks on educators. Strong public schools strengthen every community in this state. Texas has the resources to do this while lowering property taxes. We need to stop robbing our education system.Standing Up for Rural TexasRural Texans feed and fuel this nation yet face crushing input costs and increasing pressure from developers and corporations. I will work to protect rural water, farmland, and local communities while supporting the ranchers and farmers who keep Texas running.Good Functional Government for the PeopleGovernment should work for Texans, not for corporate donors. I will push for transparency, accountability, and policies that reflect the needs of working families rather than the wishes of the ultra wealthy and the well connected. I will prioritize the needs of working Texans, families and retirees every day.Protecting the American DreamThe American Dream is being suffocated by rising costs, corporate greed, and political leaders who lack either the desire or the backbone to fight for the people who elected them. I am running to restore fairness, rebuild opportunity, and defend the future of every Texas family.Protecting Texas SeniorsThe average life expectancy in Texas is 75.4 years. Seniors have worked their entire lives. They should not have to choose between buying food or pharmaceuticals. They should not be afraid to run their air-conditioning in the summer because of the cost of electricity. They should not be forced out of their homes by property taxes and rising appraisals that only benefit state and corporate interests. They should not have to return to the workforce if they don’t want to.I will fight to prioritize legislation that ensures seniors have stable, affordable access to essentials like housing, health care, and utilities. I will push for property tax relief and appraisal reforms so that homeowners are not displaced. I will advocate for protections and systems that respect decades of labor, so that people who built Texas can retire with dignity, not be pressured back into work just to make ends meet.— Marcos Velez's campaign website (January 16, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.