State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who represents San Antonio’s South Side, speaks to constituents. Credit: Twitter / epbusiness

State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, a Democrat and fierce gun reform advocate whose district includes parts of San Antonio, wants to run against U.S. Sen Ted Cruz in 2024, the Express-News reports, citing people familiar with the plan.

One source close to Gutierrez said the state rep is “very serious” about running in the 2024 election, while another said that they “would be shocked if he does not challenge Ted Cruz,” according to the daily.

Gutierrez’s office was unavailable for immediate comment.

If Gutierrez were to run, he wouldn’t have to give up his current seat, and his doesn’t expire until 2026. What’s more, he’s elevated his public profile in the months following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School, in which 21 of his constituents in Uvalde were gunned down.

Since then, Gutierrez has been a vocal advocate for gun reform and a staunch ally of the victims’ families. In January, he introduced bevy of gun control bills, including one that would end qualified immunity for peace officers and allow the families of Uvalde victims to sue the state for damages.

So far, Gutierrez’s efforts have been blocked by the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature.

Gutierrez’s stance on gun control couldn’t be more different than Cruz, who enjoys and 100-percent approval rating from the NRA. The arch-conservative Cruz also drew ridicule recently by saying an increased presence of armed police officers at schools rather than gun reform is the answer to the nation’s school shooting epidemic.

If Gutierrez were to win, he’d be the first Democrat to win a statewide election in Texas since 1994. However, Cruz only won reelection in 2018 by 2.6% against Democratic challenger Beto O’Rouke.

The question becomes whether Gutierrez can wield charisma comparable to that of O’Rourke during his Senate run. Since that election, Cruz has been a the center of several scandals, including his now infamous escape to Cancun during winter storm Uri.

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This article appears in Apr 19 – May 2, 2023.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...