Leticia Gutierrez

Leticia Gutierrez is the daughter of farm laborers and raised two children as a single mother; her oldest son serves in the Army.¹ She traces her environmental advocacy to concerns about her son’s health near the Port of Houston’s industrial facilities.²

A Milby High School graduate, she earned a finance degree at the University of St. Thomas in Houston.¹ She also recalls helping build a playground through a university service project, an experience she says stayed with her.² Her early career was in banking and securities, and she stepped back from that work while raising her children.² Her environmental work began through volunteering, before she took a full time role at Air Alliance Houston.²

There she became director of government relations and community outreach, working with residents, public officials and state permitting processes.² In a university interview, she described organizing neighborhood turnout and translation so residents could speak at a concrete plant permit hearing.² Her earlier public work included serving as chief of staff to Houston Councilmember Helena Brown.³

Gutierrez’s congressional platform emphasizes the cost of groceries, housing and healthcare, alongside scrutiny of corporate subsidies.⁴ She also advocates preparing aging water, electricity and transportation infrastructure for storms and other disasters.⁴ Her Republican opponent is Alex Mealer.⁵