Local farmers struggled as water and land became too expensive. Urban sprawl pushed into neighborhoods and pastures. When my husband and I moved to Lee County to build our retirement, I hoped for a quieter life. Instead, I see similar challenges arriving here.

Home (drklenzfortexas.com)

Mary Elizabeth Klenz moved to Lee County with her husband to retire.

I came to Texas in 1999 as a new Ob/Gyn drawn to rural health care. I spent the next 25 years in the Rio Grande Valley, living and working in a small community that grew to a bustling area approaching a million people.

Mary Elizabeth Klenz is an obstetrician-gynecologist who worked in the Rio Grande Valley.

Mary is an obstetrician-gynecologist who worked in the Rio Grande Valley.

2026 Texas General Election

I will oppose costly, ineffective projects like an expanded border wall that damage private property, harm our environment, and divert funds from proven security measures. Finally, I will back bipartisan reforms such as the Dignity Act, which provide a path for law-abiding immigrants to remain with their families, strengthen our economy, and contribute fully to their communities.

Policies (Dr. Mary Elizabeth Klenz for Texas)

Supports Dignity Act reforms providing a path for law-abiding immigrants to remain with their families.

- Supports Dignity Act reforms providing a path for law-abiding immigrants to remain with their families.

Economy

There is no question that we must protect our state from illegal drug entry and sex trafficking. We know that the vast majority of this activity occurs through monitored checkpoints. I will work to direct resources at these areas rather than waste valuable taxpayer dollars on harassing local communities. If elected, I will oppose any unwarranted cooperation of local and state law enforcement with federal ICE agents.

Plans to direct border-enforcement resources to monitored checkpoints to address drug entry and sex trafficking.

Opposes unwarranted cooperation between local or state law enforcement and federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

Opposes expanding the border wall, citing private-property, environmental, and funding concerns.

- Plans to direct border-enforcement resources to monitored checkpoints to address drug entry and sex trafficking.
- Opposes unwarranted cooperation between local or state law enforcement and federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
- Opposes expanding the border wall, citing private-property, environmental, and funding concerns.

Public Safety

The options for primary care, urgent care, obstetric care and supporting services are already limited in our district. And when state leaders refuse federal healthcare dollars, rural communities like ours pay the price. Last-minute deals or partial fixes are not enough—people’s lives depend on stable, long-term solutions. The recent move to rollback Medicaid will only weaken a system already strained. I will support strengthening the Affordable Care Act and continuing Medicaid expansion, ensuring that every person in our community has access to affordable, high-quality healthcare.

Currently, many families struggle to find affordable health care services close to home. I will work with local providers to expand healthcare options across our district. Specifically, this means increasing locations for lab testing, imaging, emergency care and primary care to our smaller towns. Above all, I am committed to ensuring that all in our community have access to the exceptional healthcare that Texas has to offer.

Every woman deserves access to safe, accurate medical information and the freedom to decide when and with whom to start a family. These choices belong to patients—not politicians. In recent years, The rights for women to make these choices has been under attack in Texas.

Laws such as SB 8 and HB 1280 criminalize patients and physicians for providing medical care that is often essential to saving a woman’s life or preserving her future fertility. These laws have pushed Texas into one of the most extreme and medically unsafe positions in the nation. Texas women deserve respect, compassion, and medical care grounded in science—not politics. I will work to repeal SB 8 and HB 1280, restoring safe and compassionate standards of care.I will support legislation that protects the doctor–patient relationship, ensuring that medical decisions remain between patients and their healthcare providers.

Texas women deserve respect, compassion, and medical care grounded in science—not politics. I will work to repeal SB 8 and HB 1280, restoring safe and compassionate standards of care.I will support legislation that protects the doctor–patient relationship, ensuring that medical decisions remain between patients and their healthcare providers. I will fight to restore policies that prioritize women’s health, privacy, and dignity.

Supports strengthening the Affordable Care Act and continuing Medicaid expansion.

Plans to work with local providers to expand lab testing, imaging, emergency care, and primary care in smaller towns.

Plans to repeal Senate Bill 8 and House Bill 1280 and supports keeping reproductive healthcare decisions between patients and providers.

- Supports strengthening the Affordable Care Act and continuing Medicaid expansion.
- Plans to work with local providers to expand lab testing, imaging, emergency care, and primary care in smaller towns.
- Plans to repeal Senate Bill 8 and House Bill 1280 and supports keeping reproductive healthcare decisions between patients and providers.

Healthcare

Despite these growing demands, state funding for rural schools remains inadequate. The recently implemented Voucher program threatens to siphon even more resources away from public classrooms and into private institutions, leaving our rural schools—and our children—behind. As your representative, I will fight to Increase public school funding, with a focus on raising teacher salaries I will work to promote responsible technology policies that help students learn while minimizing distraction and misuse.

I will work with local law enforcement to ensure safe learning environments by strengthening campus safety measures without turning our schools into fortresses

Plans to increase public-school funding, focusing on teacher salaries.

Plans to promote technology policies intended to support learning while reducing distraction and misuse.

Plans to work with local law enforcement to strengthen campus safety without turning schools into “fortresses.”

- Plans to increase public-school funding, focusing on teacher salaries.
- Plans to promote technology policies intended to support learning while reducing distraction and misuse.
- Plans to work with local law enforcement to strengthen campus safety without turning schools into “fortresses.”

Education

We are already experiencing the consequences in our district. The Vista Ridge project in Burleson is drawing down groundwater to supply water for San Antonio’s growth many miles away. Projects like this—driven by corporations and approved without meaningful local input—threaten the long-term health of our aquifers and the livelihoods of rural Texans. This has to change. We need to pause future projects of this kind, conduct an assessment of the current state of our aquifer, and ensure that local residents and landowners are heard. If the data shows unsustainable depletion, the Vista Ridge operation must be halted.

We need to pause future projects of this kind, conduct an assessment of the current state of our aquifer, and ensure that local residents and landowners are heard. If the data shows unsustainable depletion, the Vista Ridge operation must be halted. Current “ rule of capture” laws in Texas are outdated and need to be revised in a way that protects our precious water from self-interested parties that have no concern for the damage caused.

If the data shows unsustainable depletion, the Vista Ridge operation must be halted. Current “ rule of capture” laws in Texas are outdated and need to be revised in a way that protects our precious water from self-interested parties that have no concern for the damage caused. Future plans for water management in Texas must prioritize repairing aging water infrastructure encouraging rainwater harvesting and developing conservation-based strategies, rather than decimating our aquifers.

Current “ rule of capture” laws in Texas are outdated and need to be revised in a way that protects our precious water from self-interested parties that have no concern for the damage caused. Future plans for water management in Texas must prioritize repairing aging water infrastructure encouraging rainwater harvesting and developing conservation-based strategies, rather than decimating our aquifers. Above all, it’s time to modernize these laws so they protect our water, our property rights, and our future.

Calls for pausing future groundwater-transfer projects, assessing aquifer conditions, seeking local input, and halting Vista Ridge if depletion is unsustainable.

Calls for revising Texas' rule-of-capture laws governing groundwater to protect water resources.

Calls for water-management plans prioritizing aging-infrastructure repairs, rainwater harvesting, and conservation strategies.

- Calls for pausing future groundwater-transfer projects, assessing aquifer conditions, seeking local input, and halting Vista Ridge if depletion is unsustainable.
- Calls for revising Texas' rule-of-capture laws governing groundwater to protect water resources.
- Calls for water-management plans prioritizing aging-infrastructure repairs, rainwater harvesting, and conservation strategies.

Energy & the Environment

If elected, I will work to repeal HB 2127 and restore genuine local control.. I will support legislation that defends rural communities from corporate interests that use lawsuits and intimidation to override local decisions. Texas is strongest when decisions are made by the people who live, work, and raise families in their communities.

If elected, I will work to repeal HB 2127 and restore genuine local control.. I will support legislation that defends rural communities from corporate interests that use lawsuits and intimidation to override local decisions. Texas is strongest when decisions are made by the people who live, work, and raise families in their communities. I will fight to make sure our district maintains the authority to protect its future.

Plans to repeal House Bill 2127 and restore local control.

Supports legislation protecting rural communities from corporate lawsuits and intimidation that override local decisions.

- Plans to repeal House Bill 2127 and restore local control.
- Supports legislation protecting rural communities from corporate lawsuits and intimidation that override local decisions.

Voting & Elections

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Mary Elizabeth Klenz

Mary Elizabeth Klenz's campaign for Texas State Representative, District 17, is her first time running for public office.

Meet the Democratic candidates for state representative District 17

TX voter guide for the General election on Nov 03, 2026. - iVoterGuide

Texas AFL-CIO COPE 2026 General Election Pro-Worker ...

Texas House candidates | TCTA

As of July 22, 2026, Mary Elizabeth Klenz’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Endorsed by the Texas labor movement’s political arm, the Committee on Political Education (COPE).

Buket Urgen

Mauricio Mendez

Stan Gerdes

- Your state representative represents the interests of your local district in the Texas House of Representatives. The State House of Representatives, along with the State Senate, makes up your state lawmaking body: the Texas State Legislature
- Your state representative can author, sponsor, and vote on bills that may become state laws. 
- There are 150 members of the Texas House of Representatives, each representing a single district. Representatives must be at least 21 years old and reside in the state for at least two years before their election. 
- State representatives are elected to two-year terms during even-numbered years. There are no term limits. 
- State representatives make $7,200 annually in addition to a $221 payment per day during legislative sessions and mileage reimbursements.

Your representative and state lawmaker in the Texas House of Representatives.