Richard Peña Raymond

Richard Peña Raymond is a Democratic representative serving House District 42, which includes Laredo and parts of Webb County in South Texas. Born in Alice, Texas, and raised in Benavides, Texas, Raymond began his political involvement as a young man fighting political corruption in his home county of Duval.

Before entering the Texas Legislature, Raymond worked for United States Senators Lloyd Bentsen and Paul Simon, as well as for Texas Land Commissioner Garry Mauro and Texas Railroad Commissioner Bob Krueger. He first ran for the Texas House in 1992 and was elected to represent a rural South Texas district spanning Duval, Jim Wells, Live Oak, Wilson, Atascosa, McMullen, and La Salle counties. After six years of service, he ran for Texas Land Commissioner as the Democratic Party nominee, receiving nearly 1.5 million votes before losing to Republican David Dewhurst. He returned to the legislature in January 2001, representing Laredo, where he has served continuously since.

Education

Raymond earned a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in Government with a minor in History. He later obtained a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law.

Political Experience and Current Position

Raymond currently serves as Vice-Chairman of the Civil Discourse & Freedom of Speech in Higher Ed Select Committee and holds memberships on the Elections and State Affairs committees. Throughout his legislative career, he has authored and passed numerous bills addressing job creation, higher education, transportation, health care, and public safety. Among his notable legislative achievements are bills placing "In God We Trust" in the Texas House Chamber and on Texas license plates.

His current age is 65, and his seat is up for election in 2026. He works as a mediator outside of his legislative duties.