By R.J. Morales | TX3DNews
PLANO, TX — State Rep. Mihaela Plesa launched her re-election campaign for Texas House District 70 before a standing-room-only crowd of supporters, local officials, and fellow lawmakers, pledging to defend what she called “the people’s seat” in one of Texas’s most competitive districts.
“This seat doesn’t belong to Ken Paxton or Greg Abbott,” one speaker told the crowd to loud applause. “It belongs to the people of HD-70.”
Supporters waved “Plesa for the People” signs as a campaign video recapped her first term. The event blended personal stories, policy themes, and volunteer organizing — underscoring how both parties view the Collin County district as a key battleground in 2026.
Focus on democracy and representation
Taking the stage to sustained applause, Plesa cast the race as a test of representation and democracy itself.
“Democracy is not guaranteed,” she said. “It must be protected and renewed — and that responsibility belongs to us.”
Invoking Benjamin Franklin’s warning that America would remain “a republic, if you can keep it,” Plesa said House District 70 sits “on the front line of democracy in Texas,” pointing to mid-decade redistricting efforts, voting restrictions, and court challenges against Democratic lawmakers after the 2023 quorum break.
“They even tried to have your representative vacated from her seat,” she told the crowd. “They know the power of the people is stronger than the people in power.”
Plesa tied that message to her family’s story. “My parents fled Romania, where speaking out could cost your job or your freedom,” she said. “They came here because they believed that in America no one is above the law and no one is below its protection.”
Personal stories and legislative record
The most emotional moment came when Katie Talman, a constituent whose late daughter inspired Everly’s Law, shared her story.
“When Representative Plesa first knocked on my door, she didn’t talk about politics,” Talman said. “She asked what I needed.”
Talman described how House Bill 37, passed in 2025, now requires hospitals with advanced maternal-care levels to provide bereavement counseling and cooling bassinets for families facing stillbirth or neonatal loss. “Now Everly’s name is on a first-of-its-kind law helping parents across Texas,” she said, earning a standing ovation.
Plesa called the law proof that “policy begins with listening,” adding that compassion can drive practical legislation. She also cited new funding for Early Childhood Intervention programs and expanded ID access for seniors. “I don’t work for a party,” she said. “I work for the people of HD-70.”
Education, engagement, and the stakes in Collin County
Several Democratic lawmakers attended Plesa’s campaign launch, underscoring the district’s significance in next year’s elections.
Rep. Vikki Goodwin of Austin, now running for lieutenant governor, praised Plesa’s leadership as vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus during the quorum break. “It’s not easy being the public face of your caucus on statewide television,” she said. “She did it with confidence and composure.”
Rep. Gina Hinojosa, a gubernatorial candidate, called Collin County pivotal to Texas’s political future. “What happens in McKinney and Plano will determine what happens in Washington,” she said.
That focus on community engagement carried through the program, including remarks from sixth-grader Asher Vargas, a student and former Capitol page. “If our schools had more funding, we wouldn’t have to rely so much on fundraising,” he said, adding that some children worry about how new policies affect their families.
Plesa later echoed those concerns, noting that Texas remains “about $1,400 below the national average” in per-student funding. “When we shortchange schools, we cut STEM, foreign languages, and arts,” she said. “In a district as diverse as ours, we can’t afford that.”
Local questions: ballots, transit, and mental health
During a Q&A session, Plesa fielded questions on voting, transportation, and mental health.
She noted that Collin County’s shift to paper ballots was a decision by county commissioners, not state lawmakers, and reminded voters they can request a machine ballot if preferred. She encouraged residents to check their voter registration regularly, citing common issues with address changes and name removals.
On transportation, Plesa voiced support for local control and observed that Texas has not raised its gas tax since the 1980s, contributing to delays in major road projects.
Discussing mental health, she highlighted a bipartisan bill she co-authored that provides trauma-informed training for county jail staff working with veterans, describing it as an example of cross-party cooperation on public safety and care.
Closing message
Plesa closed on a personal note. “I started my first race by handing in my paperwork at a Starbucks,” she said. “Now I’m standing here because you believed in me.”
Calling her remarks a “love letter” to the district, she urged supporters to stay active. “This seat has been targeted before, and it will be again,” she said. “But together, we can keep HD-70 in the hands of the people.”
Editor’s Note:
TX3DNews covered this event as part of our ongoing, nonpartisan reporting on local elections and community affairs in Collin County and Texas House District 70. Coverage does not imply support or opposition for any candidate or political party. We invite all candidates running for public office in our coverage area to submit a candidate profile or invite us to cover their campaign launch.