| Jose Menendez is a member of the Democratic Party and represents the 26th District in the Texas State Senate. He assumed office in his current role on 4th March 2015 and was re-elected in the general election of 3rd November 2020. Before that, Jose Menendez represented the 124th District in the Texas House of Representatives between 2000 and 2015. He has also worked as a director and commercial marketing executive of multicultural markets.
Jose Menendez was a student at the Southern Methodist University where he graduated with a BBA/BA. Before attending Southern Methodist University, Jose Menendez attended the Central Catholic High School. In 1995 Jose Menendez married his best friend and life companion Cehlia Newman Menendez, with whom he has been blessed with three lovely children Austin, Dominic, and Victoria. As a lifelong Texan, father, and husband, Jose Menendez is very grateful for the opportunity to serve residents of the state of Texas and the 26th District.
Jose Menendez's parents were immigrants and he spent most of his early life helping out in his family's small business in the West Side of San Antonio. Throughout Jose Menendez's political career, he has passed more than two hundred bills that benefited veterans, seniors, children, and residents of San Antonio. Among the bills, Jose Menendez has passed is David's Law which empowers schools, parents, students, and law enforcement to prevent and combat cyberbullying. Jose Menendez is a staunch advocate for business and community development, and job growth. Through successful legislation, Jose Menendez has secured funding for developments in education, parks, healthcare, and other financial advancements including seventeen million for the Alamo Colleges.
Jose Menendez started his career in public service in 1997 after he was elected to represent the West Side of San Antonio in the 6th District office of the San Antonio City Council. He served honorably, and in 2000 he was elected to represent the 124th District in the Texas House of Representatives. Later on, Jose Menendez was appointed to the Appropriations Committee where he played a crucial role in securing funding worth millions of dollars for essential initiatives in San Antonio. During his final term in the Texas House of Representatives, Jose Menendez was appointed as the Chairperson of the Defence and Veterans' Affairs Committee where he helped veterans secure one of Texas' biggest mental health programs.
During Jose Menendez's time in the public service, he has established a reputation as a commonsense problem solver, with the ability to work with leaders from both sides of the political divide to serve the residents of Texas. Jose Menendez has consistently shown his commitment to improving housing, economic development, energy and utilities infrastructure, as well as the public education system of the State of Texas.
In 2017, Jose Menendez was awarded the highly-regarded Texas Municipal League Legislator of the Year Award in honor of his outstanding commitment to empowering Texas residents to make choices that affect their communities. This is not the only honor that Jose Menendez has received due to his contributions to public service. He has also been presented with the Combined Law Enforcement's Association of Texas' Senator of the Year Award, Legislative Honor roll by the Texas Parent Teacher Association, the Center of Health Care Services' Leaders in Improving Mental Health Care, and in 2017 was also presented with the Legislator of the Year Award by Mothers Against Drunk Driving. |