Texas State Senator, District 21

Judith Zaffirini is a Democrat from Laredo who has served in the Texas Senate since 1987 and became the first woman Dean of the Senate on December 31, 2023¹². She is a former teacher and communications specialist¹². She faces Republican Julie Dahlberg, who also ran against her in 2022¹³¹⁴.

Where they stand 10 issues · tap any issue for the evidence

• School choiceNo, keep public money in traditional public schoolshigh

  Said · high confidence

  • In her 2026 ATPE survey she said she has a 100 percent voting record against school vouchers by any name. (2026) source
  • Voted no on SB 2 (2025), creating an education savings account program; it passed the Senate 19 to 12. (2025-02-05) source
  • Voted no on SB 8 (2023), an earlier education savings account bill; it passed the Senate 18 to 13. (2023-04-06) source
• Safety net programsExpand help for childcare, housing and paid family leavehigh

  Said · high confidence

  • Her campaign website says she supports expanding Medicaid. (2026) source
  • Authored SB 45 (2025), relating to the expansion of eligibility for Medicaid to certain individuals under the federal Affordable Care Act. (2025) source
  • Authored SJR 6 (2025), a proposed constitutional amendment requiring the state to expand Medicaid eligibility. (2025) source
• Property taxesKeep cutting them and cap how fast they can risehigh

  Said · high confidence

  • Her campaign website says she is positioned to advance policies to cut property taxes. (2026) source
  • Is listed among the authors of SB 4 (2025), which raised the school homestead exemption. (2025) source
  • Is listed among the authors of SJR 2 (2025), the constitutional amendment to raise the school homestead exemption. (2025) source
• RedistrictingIndependent commissions draw maps, with a national ban on partisan gerrymanderingmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Authored SB 69 (2025), relating to the establishment of the Texas Redistricting Commission. (2025) source
  • Authored SJR 8 (2025), a proposed constitutional amendment establishing the Texas Redistricting Commission to redistrict Congress and the Legislature. (2025) source
  • Authored SB 69 (2023), the same proposal for a Texas Redistricting Commission, in the 88th Legislature. (2023) source
• Nuclear powerBack new reactors with public funds, tax credits, and streamlined approvalsmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on HB 14 (2025), relating to support for the development of the nuclear energy industry, on final Senate passage, 26 to 5. (2025-05-28) source
  • Authored SB 1535 (2025), establishing an advanced nuclear energy workforce development program at the Texas Workforce Commission. (2025) source
• China policyGet tougher: broad tariffs, state bans on land purchases, and forced app salesmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on SB 17 (2025), restricting land purchases in Texas by certain foreign governments, companies and individuals, including from China; it passed the Senate 24 to 7. (2025-03-19) source
• School vaccinesKeep requirements with simple personal-belief exemptionsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on HB 1586 (2025), requiring the state to post the school vaccine exemption affidavit form online; it passed the Senate 23 to 8. (2025-05-25) source
• Curriculum and booksLocally elected school boardsmedium

  Said · medium confidence

  • In her 2026 ATPE survey she said the state should set clear statewide standards, but that local school districts, educators and parents must keep meaningful authority over instructional materials, and that the state should set the floor, not the ceiling. (2026) source
  • Voted yes on SB 13 (2025), creating local school library advisory councils and parental rights over library materials; it passed the Senate 23 to 8, and she and two other senators filed a reason for vote noting both its parental review rights and its book challenge process. (2025-03-19) source
  • Voted no on HB 900 (2023), regulating library materials sold to or kept in public school libraries; it passed the Senate 19 to 12. (2023-05-23) source
• Religion in schoolsNo single answer fitsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on SB 11 (2025), allowing school boards to set a period for prayer and reading of the Bible or other religious texts; it passed the Senate 23 to 7. (2025-03-18) source
  • Voted no on the motion to concur in the House amendment to SB 10 (2025), requiring the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms; the Senate concurred 21 to 10. (2025-05-28) source
• Texas power gridNo single answer fitslow

  Official action · low confidence

  • Authored SB 31 (2023), relating to the interconnection of the ERCOT power grid to grids outside the ERCOT power region. (2023) source
  • Voted yes on SB 2627 (2023), relating to funding mechanisms to support the construction, maintenance and modernization of dispatchable electric generating facilities; it passed the Senate 27 to 4. (2023-05-04) source

No public position found on: Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, Abortion, Guns, Immigration, Energy and climate, AI data centers, Housing and growth, Policing and crime, Election rules, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Gender care for minors, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, E-Verify mandate, Transgender athletes, DEI programs.