State Representative, Texas House District 123

Diego Bernal is a San Antonio Democrat who won his Texas House seat in a 2015 special election¹. He is a civil rights lawyer and former San Antonio City Council member who previously worked as a MALDEF staff attorney¹². He is unopposed on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot³.

Where they stand 23 issues · tap any issue for the evidence

• GunsAdd universal background checks and red-flag lawsmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Voted no on the final version of HB 1927, which allows adults to carry handguns without a license; the House adopted it 82 to 62. (2021-05-23) source
  • Authored HB 828 (2025), relating to criminal offenses concerning firearm sales at gun shows; as introduced it makes it an offense to sell a firearm at a gun show without a federal background check. (2025) source
  • Authored HB 479 (2025), relating to requiring a licensed firearms dealer to report certain sales of multiple rifles to law enforcement. (2025) source
• Texas power gridPay for more backup natural gas plantsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on SB 2627, which created state loans for new or upgraded dispatchable power plants; it passed the House 118 to 23. (2023-05-23) source
• Mandatory minimumsAdd or lengthen them for serious crimes like fentanyl traffickingmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on HB 6, which created new offenses and increased criminal penalties for certain fentanyl-related offenses; it passed the House 124 to 21. (2023-04-28) source
• MarijuanaDecriminalize small amounts (fines, not jail)medium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on HB 218 (2023), which reduced criminal penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana; it passed the House 87 to 59 but not the Senate. (2023-04-27) source
  • Voted yes on HB 46 (2025), which expanded the state's medical low-THC cannabis program; it passed the House 122 to 21. (2025-05-13) source
  • Voted no on SB 3, which would have banned most consumable hemp-derived THC products; it passed the House 87 to 54 and was later vetoed by the governor. (2025-05-22) source
• Paid leaveRequire employers nationwide to offer a basic number of paid sick daysmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Authored HB 841 (2025), relating to requiring certain employers to provide paid sick leave to employees; he filed the same proposal in the 2021 and 2023 sessions. (2025) source
• Property taxesKeep cutting them and cap how fast they can risemedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Authored HB 117 (2023), relating to a limit on school district taxes on certain residence homesteads after a substantial school tax increase. (2023) source
  • Authored HB 642 (2025), relating to a limit on school district taxes on certain residence homesteads after a substantial school tax increase. (2025) source
• HealthcareKeep the Affordable Care Act and fix what is brokenlow

  Official action · low confidence

  • Authored HJR 17 (2023), proposing a constitutional amendment requiring the state to expand eligibility for Medicaid under the federal Affordable Care Act. (2023) source
  • Authored HB 807 (2025), relating to the expansion of eligibility for Medicaid to certain individuals under the federal Affordable Care Act; he has filed Medicaid expansion bills in each session since 2021. (2025) source
• School choiceNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on the Raney amendment, which removed the education savings account (voucher) program from HB 1; the House adopted it 84 to 63. (2023-11-17) source
  • Voted no on SB 2, which created a state education savings account program that can pay for private school; the House passed it 86 to 61. (2025-04-17) source
• AbortionNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on SB 8, the Texas Heartbeat Act, which bans most abortions after cardiac activity is detected and is enforced through private lawsuits; it passed the House 83 to 64. (2021-05-06) source
  • Voted no on HB 1280, the law banning abortion if Roe v. Wade was overturned, with an exception only to save the life or a major bodily function of the mother; it passed the House 81 to 61. (2021-05-06) source
  • Voted no on HB 7, which set prohibitions on making and providing abortion-inducing drugs and allows private lawsuits; it passed the House 82 to 48. (2025-08-28) source
• Election rulesNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on the final version of SB 1 (2021), the election law overhaul that added ID requirements for mail ballots and banned drive-through and 24-hour voting; the House adopted it 80 to 41. (2021-08-31) source
• Transgender athletesNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on HB 25, which requires K-12 athletes to compete based on biological sex; it passed the House 76 to 54. (2021-10-14) source
  • Voted no on SB 15, which requires college athletes at public universities to compete based on biological sex; it passed the House 95 to 50. (2023-05-18) source
• Gender care for minorsNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on SB 14, which banned gender transition procedures and treatments for minors; the House passed it 87 to 56. (2023-05-15) source
• DEI programsNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on SB 17, which banned diversity, equity and inclusion offices and related practices at public colleges; it passed the House 83 to 62. (2023-05-22) source
  • Voted no on SB 12, which set parental rights rules and prohibited diversity, equity and inclusion duties in K-12 public schools; it passed the House 88 to 47. (2025-05-25) source
• Religion in schoolsNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on SB 11, which allows schools to set a period for prayer and reading of the Bible or other religious texts; it passed the House 88 to 48. (2025-05-23) source
  • Voted no on SB 10, which requires the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms; it passed the House 82 to 46. (2025-05-25) source
• China policyNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on SB 17, which restricts purchases of Texas real property by certain foreign governments, entities and people, including from China; it passed the House 86 to 59. (2025-05-09) source
• ImmigrationNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Authored HB 182 (2021), relating to the repeal of certain provisions governing state and local enforcement of immigration laws. (2021) source
  • Voted no on SB 4, which made illegal entry into Texas a state crime and allowed state judges to order people to leave the country; it passed the House 83 to 61. (2023-11-14) source
  • Voted no on SB 8, which requires certain sheriffs to enter agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to enforce federal immigration law; it passed the House 86 to 47. (2025-05-25) source
• AI data centersNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on SB 6, which set rules for how very large electricity users such as data centers connect to the grid and share related costs; it passed the House 103 to 25. (2025-05-27) source
• RedistrictingNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on HB 4, the 2025 mid-decade redrawing of Texas congressional districts; it passed the House 88 to 52. (2025-08-20) source
• School vaccinesNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on HB 1586, which made the school vaccine exemption affidavit form easier to obtain; it passed the House 83 to 54. (2025-05-14) source
• Policing and crimeNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on HB 1900, which penalizes large cities that cut police budgets; it passed the House 90 to 49. (2021-05-07) source
  • Voted no on SB 9, which tightened bail procedures and regulated charitable bail groups; it passed the House 118 to 25. (2025-05-20) source
• Kids onlineNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on the final version of HB 18 (2023), which requires digital services to verify users' ages, give parents tools and limit harmful content for minors; the House approved it 120 to 21. (2023-05-28) source
• Housing and growthNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on the final version of SB 15 (2025), which bars certain large cities from requiring large minimum lot sizes for new homes; the House approved it 78 to 57. (2025-06-01) source
• Curriculum and booksNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted no on HB 900, which regulated library materials sold to or kept in public school libraries; it passed the House 95 to 52. (2023-04-20) source
  • Voted no on SB 13, which set up local school library advisory councils and parental rights over school library materials; it passed the House 86 to 55. (2025-05-28) source
  • Voted no on the final version of SB 13 (2025), which set up local school library advisory councils and gave parents more say over school library materials; the House approved it 81 to 48. (2025-05-31) source

No public position found on: Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Energy and climate, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Student loans, AI regulation, Nuclear power, E-Verify mandate.