Texas House District 12 2026

Compare candidates running in this Texas federal race. Review their positions, voting records, campaign promises, and donor information.

Heli Rodriguez Prilliman

Party: Democrat

Craig Goldman

Party: Republican

OBJ SPEAKING

Create StoryTimelinesVoter ToolsRegional AnalysisAll StoriesUSWorldPoliticsBusinessHealthEntertainmentTechnologyCommunity PicksAbout
← US Map>Texas>House District 12
house

Texas House District 12

Election: Nov 3, 2026Updated: Apr 10, 2026
📊Polling
No public polling data available for the 2026 general election as of April 10, 2026
likely rCook Partisan Voter Index (R+11) - no official general election rating available as of April 10, 2026

This is a safely Republican district with a Cook Partisan Voter Index of R+11. The incumbent Republican won the 2024 general election with 63.5% of the vote. A Democratic flip would be unlikely given the district's strong Republican lean.

Heli Rodriguez PrillimanD
Craig GoldmanR

Summary

Angela 'Heli' Rodriguez Prilliman is a Fort Worth-based entrepreneur and progressive Democratic candidate for Congress. She was raised in Stephenville, Texas, and graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in business. Rodriguez Prilliman has over a decade of experience in the Silicon Valley startup scene. She is the founder of Lacquerbar & Lacquerbar U, an award-winning nail salon and online education startup that was venture-backed by Backstage Capital, Precursor Ventures, Pipeline Angels, and Founder Gym. She was also part of the founding team at Fivestars, a software-as-a-service company that grew to over 50 million users in five years. Rodriguez Prilliman serves as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at FourthWave, a startup accelerator for women-led tech companies, and is a Founder Mentor for Pharrell Williams' Black Ambition Futurists Program. She is also the co-creator of The C Curve podcast for nail technicians and manicure enthusiasts.

Craig Alan Goldman was born October 3, 1968, in Fort Worth, Texas. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and government from the University of Texas at Austin. Before entering politics, he spent nearly a decade running a family retail gourmet food and wine store and worked on Republican political campaigns. Goldman served in the Texas House of Representatives from 2013 to 2025, representing the 97th district in southwest Tarrant County, where he held several leadership positions including Chairman of the House Energy Resources Committee and Chairman of the House Republican Caucus. In 2024, he won election to the U.S. House, defeating John O'Shea in the Republican primary with 63.5% of the vote in the general election. He was sworn into the 119th Congress on January 3, 2025.

Campaign Promises

Healthcare
  • Universal Healthcare System
Other
  • Universal Child Care System
  • Remove Billionaire Money from Politics
  • Beauty Industry Support
Justice
  • Voting Rights Protection
Education
  • Education Reform
Immigration
  • Immigration System Reform and ICE Abolition
Economy
  • Cost of Living Relief
Immigration
  • Border Security and Immigration Enforcement
Defense
  • Combat Fentanyl Crisis
  • Second Amendment Protection
Justice
  • Pro-Life Advocacy
Economy
  • Low Taxes and Pro-Growth Economic Policies
Education
  • Education Choice and School Safety

Key Issue Positions

Healthcare
Supports universal healthcare system
Rodriguez Prilliman advocates for a universal healthcare system paid for by wealth taxes on billionaires, arguing that healthcare and childcare costs are too high and current systems burden working families and small businesses.
Immigration and ICE
Opposes current immigration enforcement, seeks to abolish ICE
At a Democratic candidate forum in February 2026, Rodriguez Prilliman stated she would work at the federal level to abolish ICE and advocates for a reformed immigration system. She said candidates should do the 'minimum' required in working with ICE.
Corruption and Campaign Finance
Strongly opposes billionaire influence in politics
Rodriguez Prilliman sees both Democratic and Republican parties as 'extremely corrupt' and believes the country needs new leadership. She advocates for comprehensive campaign finance reform and removal of billionaire money in politics.
Cost of Living
Supports wage increases and trade reform
Rodriguez Prilliman advocates for increasing the minimum wage and undoing Trump's tariffs to address high costs of living, alongside reducing healthcare and childcare costs.
Small Business Support
Supports universal healthcare to help small businesses
She advocates for universal healthcare not attached to employer benefits as a way to boost small businesses by removing the burden of providing health insurance.
Border Security
Strongly supports border security and immigration enforcement
Goldman has been a staunch advocate for tough border security measures and believes illegal immigration is an unsustainable burden to American taxpayers. He voted for the toughest border security laws in Texas and introduced voter eligibility verification legislation.
Public Safety and Crime
Opposes defunding police and supports law enforcement
Goldman authored Molly Jane's Law to help law enforcement track and apprehend sexual predators. He authored HB 6 creating murder charges for fentanyl suppliers resulting in death. He opposes efforts to defund police.
Abortion
Pro-life, supports heartbeat bills and federal restrictions
Goldman championed the Texas Heartbeat bill and supports a federal Heartbeat bill. He believes human life is worth protecting and has consistently voted to defund abortion providers.
Second Amendment Rights
Strong Second Amendment supporter
Goldman is NRA-endorsed and has voted to expand Second Amendment freedoms. He co-authored open carry and campus carry laws.
Energy and Environment
Prioritizes energy independence and opposes ESG initiatives
Goldman served as Chairman of the Texas House Energy Resources Committee and worked to strengthen the Texas oil and gas industry. He opposes ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) policies and voted for the Homeowner Energy Freedom Act repealing Biden-era appliance regulations.

Top Donors

Tasleyma Sattar
Not specifiedIndividual
Listed as top donor
Lisa Castilleja-Rodriguez
Not specifiedIndividual
Listed as top donor
Sheena Flanary
Not specifiedIndividual
Listed as top donor
Joel Carranza
Not specifiedIndividual
Listed as top donor
Patricia Burma
Not specifiedIndividual
Listed as top donor

No donor data available.

Contradictions

No contradictions documented.

No contradictions documented.

What Opponents Say

No opponent claims documented.

No opponent claims documented.

Endorsements

No endorsements listed.

NRA (National Rifle Association)organization
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life Americaorganization
Texas Alliance for Lifeorganization
Various Texas state Republican officialsindividual