State Representative Mike Villarreal is in his 6th term at the State Capitol fighting for investments in education, protecting the air our quality of life, promoting policies that value hard work and aspiration, and ensuring that government is accountable to citizens.
Villarreal, a first generation Mexican-American, was born in 1971 in San Antonio. He was the first in his family to graduate from college. After graduating from Central Catholic High School in San Antonio, he attended San Antonio College, went on to receive an economics degree at Texas A&M, and later earned a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
Rep. Villarreal's professional background is in financial and economic research. He has worked as a Research Fellow at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors and currently directs the San Antonio office for Public Financial Management, the nation's leading public finance advisory firm.
In 2000, as President of his Neighborhood Association, Rep. Villarreal won a grassroots campaign for State Representative with a one vote margin, defeating a judge backed by the local political bosses. He represents residents of District 123, which is in and around downtown San Antonio.
He is a recognized leader on many progressive issues, but is also known as a lawmaker who will listen to all sides, study the data, and reach his own independent decisions on tough issues.
During the 2009 legislative session, Rep. Villarreal passed more than 30 bills, amendments and budget riders. His accomplishments during the session include securing TEXAS Grants funding for an additional 36,000 college students, authorizing cities to provide low-cost loans for residents to install solar panels and other energy improvements, and reforming the property appraisal and appeals system.
Following the session, Texas Monthly gave him "Honorable Mention" in its list of Best Legislators, and the Texas Classroom Teachers Association named him a "Legislative Star." The readers of the San Antonio Current also named him the 2nd best public servant in town.
He is the Vice Chair of the House Committee on Redistricting, and serves on the House Appropriations Committee, Appropriations Subcommittee on education, and the Ways and Means Committee. Additionally, he serves as Co-Chair of the Women’s Health Caucus and belongs to the Air Quality Caucus, Community College Caucus, and others.
During the 2007 legislative session, he passed bills to protect consumers from predatory tax refund loans, expand access to pre-k , and promote recess in elementary schools. He was recognized as the top State Representative of the year by the Capitol Annex Blog and San Antonio Current Reader’s Choice Awards. In 2005, Texas Monthly recognized Rep. Villarreal as one of the “Ten Best Legislators” of the 79th legislative session.
Rep. Villarreal has earned a reputation as a hard worker, filing over 70 bills during the 2009 session. But he also likes to have fun. He camped out in a state park during the 80th legislative session. He has appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. And constituents often spot him taking a bike ride along the San Antonio River with his wife Jeanne and two young children, Bella and Marcos.
