Here are Democrats running for Congressional District 12 in Texas
Two Democrats are on the primary ballot for Congressional District 12 in Texas. The winner of the March 3 primary will compete against Republican Craig Goldman in the November election.
Here are the Democrats’ responses to the Star-Telegram’s candidate questionnaire, in the order they’ll appear on your ballot.
Kenneth Morgan-Aguilera
Age (as of March 3): 50
Campaign website: www.kennethforcongress2026.com
Best way for voters to reach you: morgan.aguilera.tx12@gmail.com
Occupation: Doctor and Nonprofit Executive Director
Education: Highest level of education: Doctorate
Have you run for elected office before? No
Please list the highlights of your civic involvement/activism in Dallas County and Tarrant County.
Nonprofit leadership focused on strengthening community programs, expanding access to resources, and supporting working families across Tarrant County.
Veteran service and advocacy, including mentoring and supporting fellow veterans transitioning into civilian life.
Coalition‑building with local leaders, educators, and community organizations to address issues such as childcare access, education, and economic opportunity.
Community engagement and outreach throughout TX‑12, including listening sessions, neighborhood conversations, and partnerships aimed at improving quality of life for families.
Educational service as an instructor and mentor, helping develop future leaders in business, management, and public service.
Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? I have no information to report or disclose.
Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? I have no information to report or disclose.
Who are your top three campaign contributors?
Expanding access to affordable healthcare so families can get the care they need without going into debt. Strengthening education and childcare to ensure every child has a strong start and working parents can stay in the workforce. Supporting working families and economic opportunity by lowering costs, improving wages, and investing in good‑paying jobs.
Why are you seeking this office?
I’m seeking this office because working families in TX‑12 deserve a representative who listens, shows up, and fights for real solutions. Too many people feel unheard and overlooked, and I believe public service should be about delivering results, not serving special interests. My background as a veteran, educator, and nonprofit leader has taught me how to build coalitions, solve problems, and put people first. I’m running to bring integrity, accountability, and a renewed focus on opportunity for every family in our district.
If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be?
Expanding access to affordable healthcare so every family can get the care they need without financial strain.
Strengthening education and childcare to ensure every child has a strong start and working parents can stay in the workforce.
Supporting working families and economic opportunity
How will you measure your success as a member of Congress?
I will measure my success by the impact I have on the lives of the people I serve. That means delivering real results for working families, being accessible and responsive to constituents, and ensuring that every person in TX‑12 feels heard. Success also means strengthening trust in this office through transparency, accountability, and consistent communication. If families are better off, if our community feels represented, and if people can see progress in their daily lives, then I’ll know I’m doing my job.
Why should voters choose you over your opponents?
Voters should choose me because I’m focused on service, solutions, and results. My background as a veteran, educator, and nonprofit executive has prepared me to listen, build coalitions, and deliver for working families. I’m committed to transparency, accessibility, and putting people first — not special interests. I’m running to bring integrity, accountability, and a strong work ethic to Congress so every family in TX‑12 has a fair shot at opportunity.
What is the biggest challenge facing Congress? How would you address it if elected?
One of the biggest challenges facing Congress is the breakdown in trust and the inability to work together to solve real problems. Too often, politics gets in the way of progress, and families end up paying the price. If elected, I would focus on rebuilding trust through transparency, accessibility, and consistent communication with the people I serve. I would also work to strengthen bipartisan cooperation on issues where common ground exists, while staying firmly committed to the values and priorities of our district. My goal is to bring a results‑driven, service‑focused approach back to Congress so we can deliver meaningful solutions for working families.
What is the number one challenge your constituents are facing, and how do you plan to resolve it?
The number one challenge my constituents are facing is the rising cost of living — from healthcare and childcare to housing, groceries, and basic necessities. Families are working hard, but too many feel like they’re falling further behind. I plan to address this by fighting for policies that lower costs, expand access to affordable healthcare, strengthen childcare and education, and support good‑paying jobs. My focus is on practical, people‑first solutions that make everyday life more affordable and give every family in TX‑12 a fair shot at opportunity.
How would you interact and work with members of the opposite party? Are there specific policy ideas where you see opportunities for bipartisanship?
I believe good ideas can come from anywhere, and I’m committed to working with anyone—regardless of party—who is focused on delivering real solutions for the people of TX‑12. My approach is rooted in listening, respect, and finding common ground where it exists. There are several areas where bipartisan cooperation is not only possible but necessary, including improving veterans’ services, expanding workforce training, lowering healthcare costs, and strengthening infrastructure. These are issues that affect families across the political spectrum. My goal is to build coalitions around practical, people‑first solutions and restore a spirit of service and problem‑solving in Congress.
How would you approach foreign policy as a member of Congress?
I would approach foreign policy with a focus on stability, lawful authority, and America’s long‑term interests. Congress has a constitutional responsibility to oversee military engagement and ensure that any use of force is legal, strategic, and aligned with our values. I believe in strong diplomacy, clear objectives, and working with our allies to promote security and prevent conflict. My priority would be to support policies that keep Americans safe, strengthen global partnerships, and ensure that decisions about military action are made carefully, transparently, and with full congressional oversight.
What steps, if any, should Congress take regarding artificial intelligence, including regulation and/or safeguards?
Congress should take a balanced, responsible approach to artificial intelligence that protects people’s rights while encouraging innovation. That starts with clear transparency standards so Americans know when AI is being used and how their data is handled. We also need strong privacy protections, guardrails against discrimination and misuse, and independent oversight to ensure AI systems are safe, fair, and accountable. At the same time, Congress should support research, workforce training, and ethical development so the benefits of AI strengthen our economy and expand opportunity. My focus is on ensuring AI serves the public interest, protects consumers, and supports—not replaces—American workers.
What should be prioritized in federal spending and what, if anything, do you believe should receive less budget allocations?
Federal spending should prioritize the areas that strengthen families, expand opportunity, and keep our country secure. That means investing in affordable healthcare, childcare, public education, workforce training, and infrastructure — the foundations of a strong middle class. We also need to ensure our veterans receive the care and support they’ve earned, and that seniors can rely on Medicare and Social Security.
At the same time, Congress must take a hard look at wasteful spending, inefficiency, and programs that don’t deliver results for the public. Taxpayer dollars should be used responsibly, transparently, and with clear accountability. My focus is on directing resources toward what actually improves people’s lives and reducing spending where it fails to serve the public interest.
What should Congress do to address healthcare?
Congress should focus on lowering costs, expanding access, and strengthening the systems families rely on. That means protecting Medicare and Medicaid, reducing prescription drug prices, and expanding the Affordable Care Act so more people can get quality coverage without financial hardship. We also need to invest in primary care, mental health services, and community health programs that keep people healthy instead of waiting until crises become expensive. My priority is a healthcare system that puts patients first, ensures transparency and accountability, and guarantees that every American can get the care they need when they need it.
How do you plan to ensure affordability for Texans in the day-to-day as well as in the housing market?
Ensuring affordability for Texans starts with lowering the everyday costs that families can’t avoid — healthcare, childcare, groceries, utilities, and transportation. I support policies that reduce out‑of‑pocket healthcare expenses, expand access to affordable childcare, and strengthen programs that help families keep more of what they earn. When families aren’t crushed by basic costs, they can build stability and plan for the future.
What should Congress do, if anything, to address security along the U.S.-Mexico border and immigration policy?
Congress should take a practical, comprehensive approach that strengthens border security while creating an immigration system that is orderly, humane, and reflective of our values. That means investing in modern technology, staffing, and infrastructure to stop drug trafficking and improve processing at the border. It also means fixing our outdated immigration laws so families, workers, and employers have a clear, legal, and efficient path to navigate the system.
We need policies that secure the border, reduce chaos, and uphold due process — not political theater. I support strengthening partnerships with local communities and federal agencies, expanding legal pathways, and ensuring that asylum claims are processed fairly and efficiently. A secure border and a functional immigration system are not competing goals; they are both essential to our national interest.
Angela ‘Heli’ Rodriguez Prilliman
Age (as of March 3): 39
Campaign website: www.helifortexas.com
Best way for voters to reach you: heli@helifortexas.com
Occupation: Mom & Entrepreneur
Education: Texas A&M University ‘09
Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought, with years)
Yes, I ran in the 2024 Texas Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate
Please list the highlights of your civic involvement/activism in Dallas County and Tarrant County.
Over the years, I’ve been a member of/volunteered with Tarrant County Young Democrats, Alice Carlson Elementary PTA, Fort Worth A&M Club, Kappa Delta Sorority, Safe Haven Tarrant County, and helped local Democratic candidates like Gwenn Burud, Trey Hunt, and most recently Taylor Rehmet. My grandmother, Pauline Gasca Valenciano, was also a Fort Worth civil rights activist so I grew up going to protests and cultural parades in Fort Worth alongside her and my cousins.
Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? No.
Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? During the pandemic in 2020/2021, my nail salon and beauty school business closed for good, as many others in the nail and beauty industries did when we were forced to shut down for months. My family personally and my business professionally were forced into bankruptcy and are thankful to be on the other side of it. A big reason I am running is to create a positive change in the beauty industry for the many women and underserved minorities who work in those industries (and pump billions of dollars into our economy!). Beauty workers and manicurists do not have any representation at the highest levels. Workers in these industries need affordable health care, child care, language accessibility improvements, and an overhaul of the state licensing systems and beauty school requirements.
Who are your top three campaign contributors?
Tasleyma Sattar, Lisa Castilleja-Rodriguez, Raul Martinez
Why are you seeking this office?
We need universal healthcare, universal childcare, and billionaires to pay their fair share for it. I’m concerned about the future I will leave behind for my baby girl. I’m a 3rd gen Texan and 1st gen Mexican American — I’ve got family on both sides of the border who just want to live and work somewhere safe. We must replace our current leaders in office, get money out of politics, and fight for what’s right.
If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be?
• Fight for universal healthcare (w/mental healthcare) and universal child care – paid for by the taxing the billionaires
• Get money out of politics and pass voting rights
• Abolish and prosecute ICE
• Pay teachers minimum $100K and fund our public schools, not vouchers for private
How will you measure your success as a member of Congress?
The passage of universal healthcare and childcare, immigration reform, etc.
Why should voters choose you over your opponents?
I’m focused on getting us universal healthcare and child care (by taxing billionaires), lowering costs, raising wages, regulating AI companies, and getting money out of politics.
What is the biggest challenge facing Congress? How would you address it if elected?
Greedy politicians clinging to money and power. We address it with term limits and campaign finance reform so billionaires can’t keep buying our elections.
What is the number one challenge your constituents are facing, and how do you plan to resolve it?
The costs of healthcare and child care are too high – I’m advocating for a universal healthcare system and a universal child care system, all paid for by taxing the small group of billionaires who have taken advantage of American workers. I’d work with fellow congresspeople and senators to get this done. I’m not the first person who has pushed these types of policy ideas, but I’m doing everything I can to educate and convince others how and why it would help boost our economy and our well being as a country. People can’t solve problems or innovate when they are burnt out and stretched thin. We’ve got to support working parents, young entrepreneurs, and small businesses with more affordable child care and healthcare.
How would you interact and work with members of the opposite party? Are there specific policy ideas where you see opportunities for bipartisanship?
Good manners and charm go a long way – ha! Opportunities for bipartisanship are AI/social media safety regulations, lowering child care costs, preventing involvement in foreign wars, etc.
How would you approach foreign policy as a member of Congress?
Our greatest foreign threat is our democratic allies around the world abandoning us (or worse, attacking us!) because of the lawless actions of president Trump and the people who continue to support him. We address it by removing Trump from office, removing congresspeople and senators who support him from office, and holding them accountable for their crimes against humanity. We advance American interests with diplomacy, not violence and cynicism.
What steps, if any, should Congress take regarding artificial intelligence, including regulation and/or safeguards?
I worked in tech for more than a decade – seeing the good, bad, and ugly in the entrepreneur startup world. I saw the rise of unchecked social media and surveillance, backed by the same VCs and billionaires pushing unfettered AI development today. We must pass AI whistleblower protections, pass basic AI liability laws, restrict AI companions for kids, require mandatory AI testing and transparency requirements, and work with other governments globally to protect against AI’s worst case scenarios. While we have mostly old folks in Congress addicted to their algorithms, it’s important to elevate young leaders who can speak to these complex issues – like me!
What should be prioritized in federal spending and what, if anything, do you believe should receive less budget allocations?
Universal healthcare and childcare should be prioritized. Department of Homeland Security must be overhauled and ICE must be abolished and prosecuted.
What should Congress do to address healthcare?
Universal healthcare not attached to any employer, paid for by billionaire wealth taxes.
How do you plan to ensure affordability for Texans in the day-to-day as well as in the housing market?
Tax the billionaires to pay for our monthly healthcare and childcare costs, ban private equity firms from buying our homes, lower energy costs by cutting off wasteful bitcoin and AI data centers.
What should Congress do, if anything, to address security along the U.S.-Mexico border and immigration policy?
Abolish ICE and overhaul DHS and Border Patrol. Diplomacy with leaders not machismo posturing that has done nothing. I have family on both sides of the border, and many of us are personally hopeful of Mexico’s new president, Claudia Sheinbaum, and her leadership. We can work together to address security in a way that puts humanity first.