Texas Rep. Victoria Neave Criado launched her campaign for Texas Senate District 16 at the National Latino Law Enforcement Organization – Greater Dallas Chapter headquarters Tuesday night.
Neave Criado (D-Dallas) currently holds the seat for District 107 in Dallas County as a member of the Texas House of Representatives. Her 2016 general election victory against then-incumbent Republican Rep. Kenneth Sheets was the most expensive Texas House race of the cycle and is still remembered by many.
Among the guest speakers at the event attended by The Dallas Express was Rep. Ana-Maria Ramos (D-Richardson), who also flipped a Republican-held seat in 2018.
Ramos said Neave Criado “is staying true to progressive values” and as a leader, she “pushes the door down and brings the village with her.”
Krisi Kastl, the founder of Kastl Law, P.C. in Dallas, known for her “Persevering in Pink” brand, also spoke on Neave Criado’s behalf.
“She sees [women]. She fights for us, and she gets results,” said Kastl of Neave Criado. “The status quo isn’t good enough any longer.”
One of Neave Criado’s accomplishments includes authoring House Bill 8, the Lavinia Masters Act, which Gov. Abbott signed into law in 2019 with bipartisan support.
The law seeks to tackle the state’s backlog of sexual assault forensic exams. It is named after Lavinia Masters, a rape survivor whose exam sat on a shelf for over 20 years before it was processed, exceeding two statutes of limitations. The act “Relates to the criminal statute of limitations for certain sex offenses and the collection, analysis, and preservation of evidence of sexual assault and other sex offenses,” as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Masters, who was inducted into the 2023 Texas Women’s Hall of Fame for her commitment to advocating for survivors’ rights in the legal system, was also a guest speaker at Neave Criado’s campaign kickoff.
“She means what she says, and she says what she means,” Masters said of Neave Criado. “Every victim of sexual violence matters. You matter, and [Neave Criado] is going to make sure you know that you matter.”
Neave Criado explained, “I have focused on issues that disproportionately impact women because we have been unrepresented for generations in the Texas legislature.”
“The fact is, today, we are reliving so many of the same fights that we had 50 years ago — the fight to protect diversity, equity, and inclusion. Since when did diversity become a bad word?” she asked.
“We need to make a different choice. And as women, we are often told to wait our turn. I’ve heard that already on this campaign trail. I’m not waiting my turn. This is not the time to be quiet,” said Neave Criado.
“Women, immigrants, our LGBTQ community — we can’t afford to let our guard down. This is an incredibly beautiful, diverse district with over 70% people of color, but I want to represent everybody in this district. Over half of the population in Senate District 16 speaks a language other than English at home. I understand this district. I understand this community and will speak up for all of us,” she concluded.
Neave Criado is running against incumbent Sen. Nathan Johnson (D-Dallas) in the Democratic primary in March for his seat in a district home to nearly 1 million people. The primary election is scheduled for March 5, with early voting to begin February 20.
The Dallas Express reached out to state Sen. Johnson’s office via phone and email for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
For information on who is running for Texas State Senate, The Dallas Express has compiled a quick reference list.
