{{short description|American politician}} {{for|his father, also a member of the Texas House of Representatives|Terry A. Canales}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = Terry Canales Wikipedia.jpg | name = Terry Canales | state_house = Texas | district = 40th | term_start = January 8, 2013 | term_end = | predecessor = Aaron Peña | successor = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1979|1|1}} | birth_place = Edinburg, Texas, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | party = Democratic | occupation = Attorney | spouse = Erica Canales | children = 5 | blank1 = Website{{0|00000}} | data1 = {{URL|https://www.terrycanales.com/|Campaign website}} | education = {{ubil|University of the Incarnate Word{{0}}(BA)}}{{ubil|St. Mary's University School of Law{{0}}(JD)}} }} '''Terry Canales''' is a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives, serving since 2013. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2012 to represent District 40, which encompasses the heart of Hidalgo County. The cities within District 40 include the cities of Edinburg (Hidalgo County seat), Elsa, César Chávez, Murillo, La Coma Heights, San Carlos, La Blanca, Linn, Lopezville, and portions of McAllen, Pharr, and San Juan.<ref name="Leg bio">{{cite web |title=Rep. Canales, Terry District 40 |url=https://house.texas.gov/members/member-page/?district=40 |access-date=12 December 2025 |publisher=Texas House of Representatives}}</ref>
==Biography== Terry Canales was born in Hidalgo County and is a native of South Texas. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Government from the University of the Incarnate Word. Following in the footsteps of his father Terry A. Canales, a former State District Judge, and his uncle Arnulfo Gonzalez Jr., he graduated from St. Mary's University School of Law, earning his Juris Doctor by the age of 24. Upon passing the Texas State Bar Exam, Canales opened his own law practice in Edinburg, Texas. He specializes in Oil and Gas litigation, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, Family Law, Real Estate, and Municipal Law.<ref name="Leg bio" />
His father, Terry A. Canales, was the first Hispanic state representative to represent Jim Wells County, serving from 1973 to 1977.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Member profile for Terry A. Canales - Texas Legislative Reference Library |url=https://lrl.texas.gov/legeleaders/members/memberdisplay.cfm?memberID=616 |access-date=2025-12-12 |website=lrl.texas.gov}}</ref> His sister Gabriella "Gabi" Canales served in the Texas House from 2003 to 2005.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Member profile for Gabi Canales - Texas Legislative Reference Library |url=https://lrl.texas.gov/legeleaders/members/memberdisplay.cfm?memberID=5553 |access-date=2025-12-12 |website=lrl.texas.gov}}</ref> He is also the sixth member of his extended family to serve in the Texas House of Representatives. Canales's great uncle, José Tomás Canales, was a Brownsville Democrat who served a total of five terms between 1905 and 1921. He was a founding member of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), and is most famous for defending the Hispanic community against the injustices perpetrated by the Texas Rangers.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Politics |first=Edinburg |date=2022-05-23 |title=José Tomás Canales (1877-1975), civil rights leader, a great-uncle of Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, inducted into LULAC Hall of Fame - Titans of the Texas Legislature |url=https://edinburgpolitics.com/2022/05/23/jose-tomas-canales-lulac-hall-of-fame/ |access-date=2025-12-12 |language=en-us}}</ref>
== Texas House of Representatives == In 2019, Canales was appointed by Texas Speaker of the House Dennis Bonnen to serve as Chairman of the Texas House Committee on Transportation, the first Latino to hold that position.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rep. Canales becomes first Latino chair of Texas House Transportation Committee - Texas Rail Advocates |url=https://texasrailadvocates.org/post/rep-canales-becomes-first-latino-chair-of-texas-house-transportation-committee |access-date=2025-12-12 |website=texasrailadvocates.org |language=en}}</ref> In 2021 and again in 2023, he was appointed by Texas Speaker of the House Dade Phelan to serve as Chairman of the Texas House Committee on Transportation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Politics |first=Edinburg |date=2023-02-09 |title=Rep. Canales chosen by Speaker Phelan to third straight two-year term as Chairman, House Committee on Transportation; also winds up as member of Rep. Ryan Guillen's House Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety - Titans of the Texas Legislature |url=https://edinburgpolitics.com/2023/02/09/terry-canales-chairman-house-committee-on-transportation/ |access-date=2025-12-12 |language=en-us}}</ref>
In 2025, Canales was appointed by Texas Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows to serve as Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Transportation Funding.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=T. P. R. |date=2025-02-13 |title=Texas House Committee Assignments for 89th Legislative Session Announced |url=https://www.texaspolicyresearch.com/texas-house-committee-assignments-for-89th-legislative-session-announced/ |access-date=2025-12-12 |website=Texas Policy Research}}</ref> Canales oversees funding sources, including the State Highway Fund, transportation debt financing, including the Texas Mobility Fund, and alternative transportation funding options.<ref>''Rules of the Tex. House of Representatives'', Rule 3, Sec. 29 (2025) (adopted Jan. 28, 2025).</ref>
From 2021-2025, Canales served as a member of the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Past Commission Members {{!}} Texas Sunset Advisory Commission |url=https://www.sunset.texas.gov/past-commission-members |access-date=2025-12-16 |website=www.sunset.texas.gov}}</ref> He was the lead author on the Sunset bill for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), House Bill 1515, in the 89th Legislative Session.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Texas Legislature Online - 89(R) History for HB 1515 |url=https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB1515 |access-date=2025-12-16 |website=capitol.texas.gov}}</ref>
In 2023, Canales was one of the twelve House impeachment managers in the impeachment trial of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Texas State Senate.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-02 |title=Meet the House impeachment managers who are taking aim at Ken Paxton |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/01/ken-paxton-impeachment-house-managers/ |access-date=2025-12-12 |website=The Texas Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Legislative Committees== Canales is currently serving as a member of the following committees:<ref>{{Cite web |last=Representatives |first=Texas House of |title=Texas House of Representatives |url=http://house.texas.gov/members/2340/committees |access-date=2025-12-12 |website=Texas House of Representatives |language=en}}</ref> *Subcommittee on Transportation Funding, Chair *Transportation, Member *Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs, Member *Calendars, Member
==Election History==
===2012=== {{Election box begin | title=Texas General Election 2012: House District 40<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hidalgo - Election Results |url=https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/TX/Hidalgo/43102/112111/en/summary.html |access-date=2025-12-12 |website=results.enr.clarityelections.com}}</ref> }} {{Election box candidate with party link|party=Democratic Party (US)|candidate=Terry Canales|votes=20,513|percentage=100.00|change=0.00}} {{Election box end}}
=== 2014 === {{Election box begin | title=Texas General Election 2014: House District 40<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/TX/Hidalgo/53690/149398/Web01/en/summary.html |access-date=2025-12-12 |website=results.enr.clarityelections.com}}</ref> }} {{Election box candidate with party link|party=Democratic Party (US)|candidate=Terry Canales|votes=11,998|percentage=100.00|change=0.00}} {{Election box end}}
=== 2016 === {{Election box begin | title=Texas General Election 2016: House District 40<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.hidalgocounty.us/DocumentCenter/View/23640/16GENHID-SUM?bidId= |access-date=2025-12-12 |website=www.hidalgocounty.us}}</ref> }} {{Election box candidate with party link|party=Democratic Party (US)|candidate=Terry Canales|votes=23,227|percentage=73.8|change=-26.2}}{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Republican Party (US)|candidate=Mari De Leon|votes=8,225|percentage=26.2|change=0.0}} {{Election box end}}
=== 2018 === {{Election box begin | title=Texas General Election 2018: House District 40<ref>{{Cite web |last=contact@scytl.com |first=scytl |title=Election Night Reporting |url=https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/TX/Hidalgo/91637/Web02.222263/#/index.html |access-date=2025-12-12 |website=results.enr.clarityelections.com}}</ref> }} {{Election box candidate with party link|party=Democratic Party (US)|candidate=Terry Canales|votes=24,252|percentage=100.00|change=+26.2}} {{Election box end}}
=== 2020 === {{Election box begin | title=Texas General Election 2020: House District 40<ref>{{Cite web |title=Election Night Reporting |url=https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/TX/Hidalgo/106203/web.264614/#/summary |access-date=2025-12-12 |website=results.enr.clarityelections.com}}</ref> }} {{Election box candidate with party link|party=Democratic Party (US)|candidate=Terry Canales|votes=34,576|percentage=100.00|change=0.0}} {{Election box end}}
=== 2022 === {{Election box begin | title=Texas Primary Election 2022: House District 40<ref>{{Cite web |title=Election Night Reporting |url=https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/TX/Hidalgo/112114/web.285569/ |access-date=2025-12-12 |website=results.enr.clarityelections.com}}</ref> }} {{Election box candidate with party link|party=Democratic Party (US)|candidate=Terry Canales|votes=8,662|percentage=100.00|change=0.0}} {{Election box end}}
=== 2024 === {{Election box begin | title=Texas General Election 2024: House District 40<ref>{{Cite web |title=Election Night Reporting |url=https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/TX/Hidalgo/122498/web.345435/ |access-date=2025-12-12 |website=results.enr.clarityelections.com |language=en}}</ref> }} {{Election box candidate with party link|party=Democratic Party (US)|candidate=Terry Canales|votes=34,671|percentage=100.00|change=0.0}} {{Election box end}}
== Personal life == Canales is married to Erica Canales, a realtor and member of the Hidalgo County Tax Appraisal District Board.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Public Portal |url=https://hidalgoad.org/ |access-date=2025-12-17 |website=hidalgoad.org}}</ref> They have three sons and two daughters.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Terry Canales |url=https://www.terrycanales.com/about |access-date=2025-12-17 |website=terrycanales}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{CongLinks | congbio= | votesmart=137743 | fec= | congress= }}<!-- Links formerly displayed via the CongLinks template: * [http://ballotpedia.org/Terry_Canales Biography] at Ballotpedia * --> *[https://house.texas.gov/members/member-page/?district=40 Legislative page] * {{usurped|1=[https://www.terrycanales.com/ Campaign website]}} {{Texas House of Representatives}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Canales, Terry}} Category:Living people Category:Democratic Party members of the Texas House of Representatives Category:Hispanic and Latino American state legislators in Texas Category:1979 births Category:People from Edinburg, Texas Category:St. Mary's University School of Law alumni Category:21st-century members of the Texas Legislature Category:Long stubs with short prose