ISSUES

EDUCATION - INVESTING IN OUR FUTURE

Our future begins in our classrooms. As a former teacher, coach, and principal, and now Director of Special Education for Harlingen CISD, Ozzie Ochoa has seen firsthand the dedication of our educators and the challenges they face every day. Across the Rio Grande Valley, teachers and students are being asked to do more with less. The average starting salary for teachers in Texas is $57,761, yet 77% of educators report they do not earn a living wage.

Strong schools are the foundation of strong communities. When we support our teachers, invest in our classrooms, and give students the resources they deserve, we create opportunity for the next generation and strengthen the future of Cameron and Willacy Counties.

Ozzie will work to:

Strengthen the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) so educators can retire with dignity and financial security.
Keep public funds in public schools and oppose voucher programs that divert resources away from neighborhood classrooms.
Reduce excessive standardized testing and restore valuable instructional time for teachers and students.
Ensure fair, secular curriculum funding so every child receives a high-quality education regardless of their zip code.
Increase public school funding to keep pace with inflation and support safe campuses, innovation, and modern learning environments.

When we invest in education, we invest in every child’s future and in the long-term prosperity of the Rio Grande Valley.

PUBLIC SAFETY - PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITIES

A safe community is a thriving community. Families in Cameron and Willacy Counties deserve neighborhoods where they feel secure, children can grow up safely, and businesses can succeed. Our law enforcement officers face new challenges every day, and they deserve the tools, training, and support necessary to protect our communities.

But true public safety goes beyond policing alone. It means strengthening mental health services, supporting families before crises occur, and making sure our communities have the resources needed to prevent crime and keep people safe.

I will work to:

Support law enforcement with the funding, equipment, and training they need to serve and protect our communities.
Strengthen partnerships between local law enforcement, schools, and community organizations to improve safety across HD-37.
Expand access to mental health services through local programs, crisis response teams, and early intervention support for families.
Promote prevention, rehabilitation, and community-based solutions that reduce crime and help people get back on the right path.

Public safety requires both strength and compassion. By supporting our law enforcement and investing in the well-being of our communities, we can build a safer and stronger future.

VETERANS - SERVING THOSE WHO SERVED US

Our veterans defended our freedoms, now it is our duty to defend them. Across the Rio Grande Valley, too many veterans still struggle to access timely healthcare, benefits, and support services they have earned through their service. District 37 also lacks a veterans cemetery, forcing families to travel miles away to lay their loved ones to rest with the honor they deserve. That must change.

As the proud son of a Bronze Star Vietnam veteran, this mission is deeply personal to Ozzie Ochoa. Supporting those who served our country is not just a policy priority, it is a responsibility.

Ozzie will work to:

Expand access to healthcare and local medical services for veterans across Cameron and Willacy Counties.
Bring a state veterans cemetery to District 37 so families can honor their loved ones close to home.
Improve coordination between state and federal agencies to help veterans navigate benefits and claims more efficiently.
Increase mental health services, job training, and transition support for veterans and their families.

Our veterans answered the call to serve. Now we must answer the call to support them and ensure every veteran in District 37 receives the care, dignity, and respect they have earned.

OPPORTUNITY - BUILDING OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL

The cost of living keeps rising, and working families across Cameron and Willacy Counties are feeling the strain. Texas still has a minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, unchanged since 2009, while rent, groceries, and property taxes continue to climb. For many families in the Rio Grande Valley, wages have not kept pace with the cost of living.

A livable wage is not a luxury—it is a necessity. Every person who works hard deserves stability, dignity, and the opportunity to build a better future for their family.

Ozzie will work to:

Raise the minimum wage to at least $15 an hour so hardworking Texans can keep up with the rising cost of living.
Reform property taxes and provide meaningful relief for working families and homeowners.
Support renters through fair housing practices and greater cost transparency.
Promote small-business growth through local incentives, workforce development, and support for entrepreneurs.
Strengthen and protect our agricultural community, which remains a vital part of the Valley’s economy.

When we lift up working families, support small businesses, and invest in local industries, we strengthen the economy of District 37 and the future of the Rio Grande Valley.

RIGHTS - PROTECTING FREEDOM AND CHOICE

Healthcare decisions are deeply personal and should be guided by families, doctors, and medical professionals, not politicians. As the father of a daughter, Ozzie Ochoa believes that women and families deserve the freedom to make their own healthcare decisions with the guidance of their physicians. These freedoms reflect fundamental human and constitutional rights, including the rights to privacy, freedom of speech, and the freedom to assemble, principles rooted in personal liberty, dignity, and individual choice that should always be respected in our laws and public policy.

At the same time, Texas must do more to support healthy families. The Rio Grande Valley continues to face challenges with access to healthcare, maternal health outcomes, and medical services in rural and underserved communities.

Ozzie will work to:

Protect the right of families to make private medical decisions with their doctors.
Expand access to healthcare services for families across Cameron and Willacy Counties.
Ensure women and all families have a voice in the policies that affect their health and well-being.

Freedom, dignity, respect for personal choice, and the protection of our constitutional rights should always guide healthcare policy in Texas.