About Roland

Roland Gutierrez embodies the best traditions of Texas public service and the best hopes for the future of Texas leadership.

Gutierrez was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in a special election in May 2008 and represents District 119, encompassing parts of Bexar County from South San Antonio to China Grove to Schertz. His legislative agenda is focused on what matters most to the families he represents - economic security and higher wage jobs, better schools and affordable college tuition, safer neighborhoods, cleaner air, and insurance and utility reform.

A native of San Antonio, Gutierrez graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1989, earned his BA in political science from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and went on to receive a law degree from St. Mary's University School of Law. He is a sole practitioner in his own law firm and is involved in the Elder Law Clinic, which provides free legal services to senior citizens.

Gutierrez was elected to the San Antonio City Council in 2005 and re-elected two years later. A driving force behind the effort to establish Texas A&M University, the city's second top-tier public university, he also helped secure federal resources to fund the San Antonio River project without increasing the tax burden on middle-class families and small businesses. He has been praised for his work on the team that landed the Toyota auto manufacturing plant, leading to thousands of new jobs and millions in new economic activity for the city.

As a city leader, Gutierrez helped create the new Drug Court to combat substance abuse among young people and find alternatives to prison. He worked to create the Tax Freeze Initiative to limit property taxes for seniors and disabled citizens, and played a key role in the groundbreaking clean air policies, including an ordinance that lets owners of hybrid vehicles to park for free at city meters. He also served as a chairman of the City Council's public safety committee, sat on the Police and Fire Pension Fund Board, and was the city's liaison to Brooks City-Base.

As State Representative, Gutierrez's efforts all have a common thread: helping the people of his district shape a better future for themselves and their families. He is a strong champion for better public schools, affordable public health care, effective public safety, and policies to help strengthen the economic security of his constituents.

Gutierrez and his wife Sarah have two young daughters, Izabella and Victoria, and live in the San Jose neighborhood, where they attend Mission San Jose and are active in a variety of community projects.