# José Menéndez

José Menéndez is a Democratic member of the Texas Senate for district 26.

- Party: Democrat
- Seat: Texas Senate, district 26
- Serving since: 2015-03-04
- Current term: TX 2025–26 session
- Open States ID: ocd-person/8bb90ee9-e764-44da-b27f-b5bc3cdb394e

Source: https://americaspoliticalpulse.com/p/8bb90ee9-e764-44da-b27f-b5bc3cdb394e (America’s Political Pulse, Polarization Research Lab), data through 2026-10-27. Data under CC BY 4.0. Cite as: Westwood, Sean J., and Yphtach Lelkes. 2024. America's Political Pulse [data set].

## Headline

42% of the 206 bills Menéndez sponsored got out of committee, in the bottom tenth of the Texas Senate.

## What Menéndez says (TX 2025–26 session)

1,047 classified statements: 1,047 posts on X. Each rate is the share of statements with the label, against the State Senate Democrats average; rank 1 is the highest rate.

| Label | Menéndez | State Senate Democrats average | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal attacks | 0.3% | 2.4% | 158 of 329 |
| Policy criticism | 12.6% | 10.3% | 105 of 329 |
| Policy discussion | 57.6% | 42.9% | 91 of 329 |
| Bipartisanship | 2.3% | 3.4% | 173 of 329 |
| Credit claiming | 8.2% | 16.1% | 222 of 329 |
| Extreme labels | 0.0% | 0.8% | 228 of 329 |

Most discussed policy areas: Education 35% (State Senate Democrats 15%); Government Operations and Politics 16% (State Senate Democrats 14%); Health 11% (State Senate Democrats 17%); Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues 9.3% (State Senate Democrats 8.4%); Emergency Management 8.5% (State Senate Democrats 3.7%).

## Ideology (CSIP)

CSIP score −0.34 (standard error 0.01), from 396 donors and 828 roll calls. Negative is left of 0, positive right of it, on one scale for every official. 89% of State Senate Democrats score lower.

## Votes (TX 2025–26 session)

1,294 roll calls. Attendance 97.4% (Texas Senate 97.9%). Party unity 93.4% (89%). 91 votes against the party majority.

Key votes:

- 2025-09-04 · voted nay · final passage · HB 18 Relating to a restriction on the acceptance of political contributions and the making of certain political expenditures by a member of the legislature… · pass · https://openstates.org/tx/bills/892/HB18/
- 2025-09-03 · voted nay · passage · HB 18 Relating to a restriction on the acceptance of political contributions and the making of certain political expenditures by a member of the legislature… · pass · https://openstates.org/tx/bills/892/HB18/
- 2025-09-03 · voted nay · final passage · HB 7 Relating to prohibitions on the manufacture and provision of abortion-inducing drugs, including the jurisdiction of and effect of certain judgments by… · pass · https://openstates.org/tx/bills/892/HB7/
- 2025-09-03 · voted nay · concur in the House amendment to SB 8. · SB 8 Relating to the designation and use of certain spaces and facilities according to sex; authorizing a civil penalty and a private civil right of action. · pass · https://openstates.org/tx/bills/892/SB8/
- 2025-09-02 · voted nay · passage · HB 7 Relating to prohibitions on the manufacture and provision of abortion-inducing drugs, including the jurisdiction of and effect of certain judgments by… · pass · https://openstates.org/tx/bills/892/HB7/
- 2025-09-02 · voted nay · adoption of amendment · HB 27 Relating to a groundwater study of certain aquifers underlying the territory of the Neches and Trinity Valleys Groundwater Conservation District by the… · pass · https://openstates.org/tx/bills/892/HB27/
- 2025-09-02 · voted nay · suspend Senate Rule 11.10(a), Senate Rule 11.18(a), and Senate Rule 11.19 in order that the Committee on State Affairs might meet at 5:00 p.m. tomorrow in the Betty King Committee Room, 2E.20, and consider HB 18. · HB 18 Relating to a restriction on the acceptance of political contributions and the making of certain political expenditures by a member of the legislature… · pass · https://openstates.org/tx/bills/892/HB18/
- 2025-08-27 · voted not voting · passage · HB 8 Relating to public school accountability and transparency, including the implementation of an instructionally supportive assessment program and the… · pass · https://openstates.org/tx/bills/892/HB8/
- 2025-08-27 · voted not voting · passage · HB 192 Relating to the funding of law enforcement agencies in certain counties. · pass · https://openstates.org/tx/bills/892/HB192/
- 2025-08-27 · voted not voting · Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that HB 25 be placed on its third reading and final passage. · HB 25 Relating to a pharmacist's authority to dispense ivermectin without a prescription. · pass · https://openstates.org/tx/bills/892/HB25/

## Legislation (TX 2025–26 session)

Sponsored 206 bills: 194 reached committee, 87 passed one chamber, 25 passed both, 22 became law. Cosponsored 81. 42.2% of sponsored bills got out of committee (Texas Senate 65.2%; rank 27 of 28).

Recent sponsored bills:

- SB 42: Relating to exceptions to certain laws prohibiting abortion. (introduced, 2025-08-18) https://openstates.org/tx/bills/892/SB42/
- SB 43: Relating to exceptions to and the repeal of certain laws prohibiting abortion. (introduced, 2025-08-18) https://openstates.org/tx/bills/892/SB43/
- SR 4: In memory of James Bruce Bugg Jr. of San Antonio. (passed one chamber, 2025-09-04) https://openstates.org/tx/bills/892/SR4/
- SB 32: Relating to powers and duties of the Texas Division of Emergency Management for a local state of disaster; enhancing a criminal penalty. (introduced, 2025-08-15) https://openstates.org/tx/bills/892/SB32/
- SB 18: Relating to an exemption from the requirement to obtain a permit from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for certain dams or reservoirs operated… (passed both chambers, 2025-09-17) https://openstates.org/tx/bills/892/SB18/
- SB 3: Relating to outdoor warning sirens in flash flood-prone areas. (became law, 2025-09-05) https://openstates.org/tx/bills/892/SB3/
- SB 5: Relating to making supplemental appropriations for disaster relief and preparedness and giving direction and adjustment authority regarding those… (became law, 2025-09-18) https://openstates.org/tx/bills/892/SB5/
- SB 11: Relating to an affirmative defense to prosecution for certain victims of trafficking of persons or compelling prostitution. (became law, 2025-09-17) https://openstates.org/tx/bills/892/SB11/
- SJR 3: Proposing a constitutional amendment to limit the time in which the legislature may enact or modify districts for the Texas Legislature or the United States… (introduced, 2025-08-15) https://openstates.org/tx/bills/892/SJR3/
- SB 31: Relating to the regulation of the cultivation, manufacture, processing, distribution, sale, testing, transportation, delivery, transfer, possession, use, and… (introduced, 2025-08-15) https://openstates.org/tx/bills/892/SB31/

## Campaign money (2026 cycle)

Itemized receipts $136.4K (State Senate Democrats median $55.5K). 87% of itemized individual money came from in state. Aggregates only; no individual donors.

## Recent statements

Newest first. Posts on X are listed by date and link only.

- 2026-10-26 · Post on X · https://x.com/menendez4texas/status/2114517417233985954
- 2026-10-26 · Post on X · https://x.com/menendez4texas/status/2114517420723597484
- 2026-10-26 · Post on X · labels: policy discussion · https://x.com/menendez4texas/status/2114739928831766571
- 2026-10-26 · Post on X · labels: policy discussion · https://x.com/menendez4texas/status/2114739932837396918
- 2026-10-26 · Post on X · https://x.com/menendez4texas/status/2114739935378837870
- 2026-10-26 · Post on X · labels: policy discussion · https://x.com/menendez4texas/status/2114824915690131629
- 2026-10-25 · Post on X · https://x.com/menendez4texas/status/2114382599468507408
- 2026-10-25 · Post on X · labels: policy discussion · https://x.com/menendez4texas/status/2114422823573741978
- 2026-10-25 · Post on X · https://x.com/menendez4texas/status/2114422826543550948
- 2026-10-24 · Post on X · https://x.com/menendez4texas/status/2114008959380251068

## Links

- Official site: https://senate.texas.gov/member.php?d=26
- Campaign site: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=http://www.josemenendez.com/&ved=2ahUKEwi3m7u4zaGGAxV_m4kEHcI9BLkQFnoECB0QAQ&usg=AOvVaw0x7UHZGIgMaAx3K8iRYy8O
- X: https://x.com/menendez4texas
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/menendez4texas
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/menendez4texas/
- YouTube: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwb-LO73Do_Hqi40pMXqNFA/videos%3Fview%3D0%26sort%3Ddd%26shelf_id%3D0&ved=2ahUKEwj-3prIzaGGAxWdrokEHf9YCpYQFnoECBYQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3zPPGzDlWdHxmOS0csicu9
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jose-menendez-5a75748/

Full profile, with every chart and the methods: https://americaspoliticalpulse.com/p/8bb90ee9-e764-44da-b27f-b5bc3cdb394e