Democrat Julio Salinas defeated Republican Gary Groves in the Nov. 3 general election for Texas House District 41, winning 68% of the vote and securing a 19,086-vote margin, according to unofficial results reported by the Texas Secretary of State.
Salinas received 36,028 votes to Groves’ 16,942, capturing approximately 68% of the ballots cast in the open-seat race. The results show all polling locations reporting and remain unofficial pending the official canvass.
Salinas, a former legislative director in the Texas House and co-chair of the Texas Democratic Party’s Hispanic Caucus, will become the youngest member of the state House and the youngest to represent a Hidalgo County district. The son of an immigrant farmworker who settled in the Rio Grande Valley, he graduated from Sharyland Pioneer High School, attended UTRGV, and earned a bachelor’s degree in government and economics from the University of Texas at Austin. He previously worked as legislative director for state Rep. Christina Morales (D-Houston) and as a longtime organizer.
In a statement posted after the results, Salinas said: “We did it! It is my greatest honor to have been elected to serve the good people of the RGV’s HD41 in the Texas House of Representatives! I’m extremely proud to have won with a record breaking margin of over 68% and with over 36,000 votes. We have a clear mandate to lead the RGV to a new future driven by working class policies and I will lead for all of HD 41 as the youngest Representative in the House. I look forward to working with Governor-Elect Gina Hinojosa, Senator-Elect James Talarico, and Congressman-Elect Bobby Pulido to make an RGV that Works for ALL!”
At his election-night watch party at Cine El Rey in McAllen, Salinas told supporters the results reflected voter frustration with costs of living. “People are angry at the cost of groceries, the cost of gasoline, everything,” he said. “The working class people of this state are being prioritized now.” He has emphasized priorities including public education funding, Medicaid expansion, capping prescription drug prices, housing affordability, and infrastructure for the Valley.
The seat became open after longtime Democratic Rep. Bobby Guerra announced his retirement. Salinas first won the Democratic primary runoff in May against former McAllen City Commissioner Victor “Seby” Haddad before facing Groves, a Republican who advanced from his party’s runoff. Salinas’ percentage margin was the largest in a contested general election for District 41 in more than three decades of available records.
District 41 covers portions of Hidalgo County, including areas of McAllen, Mission, Pharr, and Edinburg. The outcome was part of a broader Democratic shift across the Rio Grande Valley on election night, which also produced victories for Governor-Elect Gina Hinojosa (an RGV native), U.S. Sen.-Elect James Talarico, and Congressman-Elect Bobby Pulido in neighboring District 15.
Groves, who has a background in business and farming, said after the results that he wished Salinas well and hoped the new leadership would address affordability and other issues facing the region.
Salinas is expected to take office when the Texas Legislature convenes in 2027. All results are preliminary and subject to official certification.
