Skip to content
elect.link
Latest
Allupdates
D Democratic · U.S. House 9, Texas · Nov 3, 2026

Leticia
Gutierrez

Democratic candidate for Texas's 9th Congressional District in the November 2026 general election

Researched checked 6 d ago
sources
16
positions
10
endorsements
16
leticiaforcongress.com ↗(opens in a new tab) Instagram(opens in a new tab)
Opponent Alex Mealer R Compare race →

Background

Leticia Gutierrez is the Democratic candidate for Texas's 9th Congressional District in the 2026 general election, scheduled for November 3, 2026. She won the Democratic primary and faces Republican Alex Mealer in the general election. [Sources: 20, 5]

Gutierrez was born in Mexico, came to Houston as a child, attended Milby High School, and has described the district as her home for 45 years. She earned a degree from the University of St. Thomas, with sources variously listing her field of study as finance, international business, or finance and economics. [Sources: 2, 12, 5]

Professionally, she has served as Director of Government Relations and Community Outreach at Air Alliance Houston for more than a decade, a role in which Rice University's Center for Environmental Studies recognizes her as a community fellow. Before that, she was chief of staff at Houston City Council (2013–2015) and earlier worked as an operations manager at InterAmerican Advisors, Inc. (2007–2012). [Sources: 12, 20, 10]

Gutierrez has no prior elected office; she previously ran unsuccessfully for Houston City Council twice under the name Leticia Ablaza. [Source: 5]

At a glance

Party
Democratic
Running for
U.S. House · District 9, Texas
Election
Nov 3, 2026
Current office
Director of Government Relations and Community Outreach, Air Alliance Houston
Website
leticiaforcongress.com(opens in a new tab)

Where they stand

Each position links to the page it was drawn from. Quotes are verbatim.

Timeline

  1. Date unknown
    news
    FEC data through June 30 shows Gutierrez raised $55,358 vs. Mealer's ~$2.08 million

    Federal Election Commission figures through June 30 show Gutierrez raised $55,358, spent $36,700, and held $18,658 cash on hand, compared to Mealer's approximately $2.08 million raised and $362,040 cash on hand over the same period. These are the latest figures cited in available sources.

    Texas' 9th District Race 2026: Who's Running (TX-9) · Oct 3, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  2. Oct 6
    endorsement
    Democrats Abroad Global Veterans and Military Families Caucus endorses Gutierrez

    The Democrats Abroad Global Veterans and Military Families Caucus listed Leticia Gutierrez among its endorsed candidates for the 2026 election cycle.

    2026 Endorsed Candidates of the ... · Oct 6, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  3. Oct 4
    news
    Pro-Republican No Going Back PAC reported to have spent ~$285,000 in TX-09 supporting Mealer

    The Hill reported that the No Going Back PAC had spent approximately $285,000 in TX-09 in support of Republican Alex Mealer, highlighting a significant outside-spending advantage over Gutierrez.

    Donald Trump unleashes war chest in key House, Senate races · Oct 4, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  4. Sep 30
    poll
    PPP poll results publicly circulated showing Gutierrez six points behind Mealer

    The results of the Sept. 18–19 PPP poll (Mealer 45%, Gutierrez 39%, undecided 16%) were publicly circulated on September 30 via social media and poll tracking sources.

    "PPP poll | 9/18-9/19 US House 2026 · Sep 30, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  5. Sep 25
    news
    Reuters reports TX-09 among races Cook moved to 'Likely Republican'; pro-Mealer PAC sending mail

    Reuters reported the TX-09 race was among those Cook Political Report had reclassified as 'Likely Republican.' The pro-Republican No Going Back PAC was reported to be sending direct mail in support of Alex Mealer in the district.

    Why 3 Texas US House races are worrying Republicans. See which ones · Sep 25, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  6. Sep 22
    news
    Sabato's Crystal Ball shifts TX-09 race toward Democrats, but Mealer still favored

    Sabato's Crystal Ball shifted its rating of the TX-09 race in Democrats' favor, though the contest continued to favor Republican Alex Mealer. Cook Political Report similarly moved the race from 'Solid Republican' to 'Likely Republican' around this period.

    Sabato’s Crystal Ball moves 3 Senate, 4 gubernatorial races in Democrats’ favor · Sep 22, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  7. Sep 18
    news
    Gutierrez outlines policy priorities in candidate Q&A questionnaire

    In a written Q&A published by Community Impact, Gutierrez stated her priorities include lowering housing and utility costs, protecting Social Security and Medicare, fully funding public schools, creating good-paying union jobs, guaranteeing healthcare to every American, reproductive freedom, immigration reform, pollution accountability, flood control, and water conservation.

    Q&A: Meet the candidates for US House District 9 · Sep 18, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  8. Sep 18
    poll
    PPP poll (fielded Sept. 18–19) shows Gutierrez trailing Mealer 39%–45%

    A Public Policy Polling survey of 560 registered voters, conducted for a Democratic sponsor on Sept. 18–19 and publicly circulated Sept. 30, showed Alex Mealer at 45%, Gutierrez at 39%, and 16% undecided. It is a single party-sponsored poll.

    TX-9 House polls 2026: Mealer vs. Gutierrez · Sep 19, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  9. Mar 3
    filing
    Gutierrez wins Democratic primary for TX-09 with 54% in six-candidate race

    Leticia Gutierrez won the Democratic primary outright on March 3, receiving 54% of the vote in a six-candidate race, securing her place as the Democratic nominee for Texas's 9th Congressional District.

    2026 Texas congressional races: Who is running and what ... · Sep 30, 2026 (opens in a new tab)

Endorsements

  • Her Bold Move organization
    Listed among 2026 endorsed candidates for U.S. Congress, TX-09; page updated September 17, 2026 herboldmove.org
  • Ed Gonzalez official
    Harris County Sheriff texastribune.org
  • Christina Morales official
    Texas State Representative texastribune.org
  • Jolanda Jones official
    Texas State Representative texastribune.org
  • Ron Reynolds official
    Texas State Representative texastribune.org
  • Harold Dutton Jr. official
    Texas State Representative texastribune.org
  • Joaquin Martinez official
    Houston City Council Member texastribune.org
  • Mario Castillo official
    Houston City Council Member texastribune.org
  • Letitia Plummer official
    Houston City Council Member texastribune.org
  • Alejandra Salinas official
    Houston City Council Member texastribune.org
  • Latinas United PAC organization
    texastribune.org
  • Communications Workers of America District 6 (CWA D6) union
    Listed as endorsed candidate for CD 9 cwad6.org
  • Adrian Garcia official
    Harris County Commissioner texastribune.org
  • SEIU Texas union
    Posted endorsement on social media: 'We're proud to endorse her for congress in CD 9!' x.com · Sep 2, 2026
  • Texas AFT COPE union
    Listed in general-election endorsements current as of August 1, 2026 texasaft.org · Aug 1, 2026
  • Texas AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education (COPE) union
    Listed among 2026 general-election endorsements; July 21, 2026 is the page date, not necessarily the endorsement date texasaflcio.org · Jul 21, 2026

Campaign finance

Totals filed with the Federal Election Commission for the 2026 election cycle.

Raised
$55K
Spent
$37K
Cash on hand
$19K

As of Jun 30, 2026. Filings are periodic, so recent money may not be included yet. ↳ FEC record H6TX09231(opens in a new tab)

Sources 16

  1. [1] Texas Endorsed Candidates 2026 | CWA District 6(opens in a new tab) Oct 8, 2026
  2. [2] 2026 Endorsed Candidates of the ...(opens in a new tab) Oct 6, 2026
  3. [3] Donald Trump unleashes war chest in key House, Senate races(opens in a new tab) Oct 4, 2026
  4. [4] Current Endorsements | Texas AFT - A union of professionals(opens in a new tab) Oct 3, 2026
  5. [5] Texas' 9th District Race 2026: Who's Running (TX-9)(opens in a new tab) Oct 3, 2026
  6. [6] "PPP poll | 9/18-9/19 US House 2026(opens in a new tab) Sep 30, 2026
  7. [7] 2026 Texas congressional races: Who is running and what ...(opens in a new tab) Sep 30, 2026
  8. [8] Why 3 Texas US House races are worrying Republicans. See which ones(opens in a new tab) Sep 25, 2026
  9. [9] Sabato’s Crystal Ball moves 3 Senate, 4 gubernatorial races in Democrats’ favor(opens in a new tab) Sep 22, 2026
  10. [10] TX-9 House polls 2026: Mealer vs. Gutierrez(opens in a new tab) Sep 19, 2026
  11. [11] Q&A: Meet the candidates for US House District 9(opens in a new tab) Sep 18, 2026
  12. [12] 2026 Endorsed Candidates(opens in a new tab) Sep 17, 2026
  13. [13] SEIU Texas (@SEIUTX) on X(opens in a new tab) Sep 5, 2026
  14. [14] From Vision to Action: Leticia on Serving Texas in Congress(opens in a new tab) Aug 4, 2026
  15. [15] Texas AFL-CIO COPE 2026 General Election Pro-Worker Endorsements(opens in a new tab) Jul 21, 2026
  16. [16] Priorities — Leticia Gutierrez for Congress(opens in a new tab) Dec 11, 2025
Are you Leticia Gutierrez?
Claim this page to add a statement to voters and correct your details.
Sign in to claim
elect.link

Candidate pages are assembled automatically from public web sources. Every claim links to where it came from. Nonpartisan; no endorsements. Candidates can claim their page to add a statement and corrections.