Morales Wins Reelection in Texas House District 74
Democrat Heriberto Eddie Morales Jr. secured a fourth term in the Texas House after defeating Republican challenger Robert Garza in the November 3, 2026 general election.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Elections
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Heriberto Eddie Morales Jr. won reelection to Texas House District 74, receiving 31,205 votes, or 64.6 percent, to Republican Robert Garza's 17,066 votes, or 35.4 percent. The Associated Press projected Morales as the winner with an estimated 99 percent of votes counted.
Why it matters
Morales's reelection extends his service in the Texas House into a fourth two-year term beginning in January 2027, when he returns to Austin for the 90th Texas Legislature. His margin of 14,139 votes reflects a strong showing in the district.
Morales received 31,205 votes (64.6 percent) against Garza's 17,066 votes (35.4 percent), a 14,139-vote margin. The count was an estimate with about 99 percent of ballots tallied when the Associated Press called the race, so final certified totals were not yet reported.
The players
Heriberto Eddie Morales Jr.
Democratic member of the Texas House representing District 74, first elected in 2020, who authored House Bill 1022 expanding Sul Ross State University's Rio Grande College course offerings.
Robert Garza
Republican challenger who lost the November 3, 2026 race for Texas House District 74 to Morales.
Sul Ross State University
Public university in Alpine, Texas, whose Rio Grande College campuses in Eagle Pass, Del Rio and Uvalde are affected by House Bill 1022.
The details
Morales, first elected in November 2020 and sworn in on January 12, 2021, authored House Bill 1022 in the 2025 legislative session. That bill removed limits that confined Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College to upper-level coursework, authorizing lower-division courses in Eagle Pass, Del Rio and Uvalde.
Timeline
January 12, 2021: Morales took office in the Texas House.
2025 legislative session: Morales authored House Bill 1022 expanding Sul Ross lower-division courses.
November 3, 2026: Morales won reelection in the general election.
January 2027: Morales's fourth term and the 90th Legislature session begin.
Legislative Record
Morales's reelection rests in part on House Bill 1022, the 2025 measure that lifted restrictions confining Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College to upper-level coursework. The Legislature attached $2.5 million annually to support development of the expanded academic programs.
Residents of Eagle Pass, Del Rio and Uvalde may see new lower-division courses at Sul Ross Rio Grande College campuses as HB 1022 takes effect. Sul Ross has agreed to buy 43 acres at Foster Maldonado Boulevard and Main Street in Eagle Pass for a future SRSU International campus.
The takeaway
Voters in Texas House District 74 have returned Morales to office, and his next term begins with the 90th Legislature in January 2027. Watch for how the expanded Sul Ross course offerings take shape in the district's communities.
What happens next
Morales is expected to return to Austin for the 90th Texas Legislature in January 2027.
Further reading
Track more races in the Texas Elections section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Eagle Pass Business Journal.
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