Mihaela Elizabeth Pleșa is a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives serving District 70, which covers parts of Collin County including Dallas, Plano, Richardson, and Allen. A lifelong Texan and first-generation daughter of Romanian immigrants, she is the first Democratic woman and first Romanian-American elected to represent Collin County in the Texas Legislature. She won her seat in 2022 by defeating Republican Jamee Jolly with 52.22% of the vote and was reelected in 2024 against Steve Kinard, securing over 52%.

Now in her second term, Pleșa serves as Vice Chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus and Vice Chair of the House Committee on Pensions, Investments, and Financial Services. She also sits on the Elections Committee and received the Outstanding Democratic Woman award from Texas Democratic Women and the Legislative Study Group Freshman of the Year in 2023.

Her priorities include fully funding schools, reducing property taxes, and improving public safety. Notable achievements from her first session include passing legislation to crack down on illegal street racing, easing ID access for seniors, and securing a $6.2 million increase for Early Childhood Intervention—the first in 10 years.

Education and Political Experience

Pleșa's professional background includes owning a small business in fashion merchandising and design, emphasizing Texas-made products and supporting other entrepreneurs. Prior to her election, she served four years as *legislative director for Rep. Ray Lopez *, where she helped pass expansions to the Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force, Medicaid expansion efforts, and a constitutional amendment for property tax exemptions for Gold Star families.