State Rep. Ryan Guillen
A South Texas investor and rancher first elected in 2002, Rep. Guillen is the ninth most senior member of the Texas House and serves as Chair of the Agriculture & Livestock Committee. He represents eleven counties across House District 31 and has served twelve consecutive legislative sessions.
- Term
- Jan. 14, 2025 – Jan. 12, 2027
- Serving since
- 2003
- Seniority
- #9 of 150
- Occupation
- Investor/Rancher
- Education
- B.S. Texas A&M University
- Next election
- Nov. 7, 2028 (primary March 7, 2028)
Contact
District
Official House District 31 map (PDF)
- Counties
- Brooks, Duval, Jim Hogg, Karnes, Kenedy, La Salle, Live Oak, McMullen, Starr, Wilson, Zapata
- Cities & CDPs
- Airport Heights, Airport Road Addition, Alto Bonito Heights, Amada Acres, Anacua, B, E, Barrera, Benavides, Benjamin Perez, Buena Vista, Camargito, Campo Verde, Cantu Addition, Casa Blanca, Casas Chapurrito, Chapeno, Concepcion, Cotulla, Delmita, E. Lopez, East Alto Benito, El Brazil, El Castillo, El Cenizo, El Chaparral, Elk Mesquite, El Quiote, El Rancho Vela, El Refugio, El Socio, Elias Fela Solis, Elmendorf (Part), Encinal, Encino, Escobares, Eugenio Saenz, Evergreen, Falcon Heights, Falcon Lake Estates, Falcon Mesa, Falcon Village, Falconaire, Falfurrias, Falls City, Fernando Salinas, Flor del Rio, Floresville, Flowella, Fowlerton, Freer, Fronton, Fronton Ranchettes, Garceno, Garclasville, Garza Salinas II, George West, Guadalupe Guerra, Guerra, Gutieerez, H. Cuellar Estates, Hebbronville, Hilltop, Indio, J.F. Villareal, Jardin de San Julian, Karnes City, Kenedy, La Carla, La Casita, La Chuparosa, La Escondida, La Esperanza, La Grulla, La Loma de Falcon, La Minita, La Paloma Ranchettes, La Puerta, La Rosita, La Vernia, La Victoria, Lago Vista, Las Lomas, Las Lomitas, Las Palmas, Loma Linda East, Loma Linda West, Loma Vista, Longoria, Lopeno, Los Alvarez, Los Arrieros, Los Barreras, Los Ebanos, Los Lobos, Manuel Garcia, Manuel Garcia II, Martinez, Medina, Mesquite, Mi Ranchito Estate, Miguel barrera, Mikes, Moraida, Morales-Sanchez, Narciso pena, Netos, New Falcon, Nina, North Escobares, Oliva Lopez de Gutierrez, Olmito, Olmito, Pablo Pena, Palo Blanco, Pena, Poth, Quesada, Rafael Pena, Ramirez-Perez, Ramireno, Ramos, Ranchitos del Norte, Rancho Viejo, Realitos, Regino Ramirez, Rio Grande City, Riverena, Roma, Runge, Salineno, Salineno North, Sammy Martinez, San Diego (Part), San Fernando, San Isidro, San Juan, San Ygnacio, Sandoval, Santa Anna, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, Santel, Sarita, Siesta Shores, South Fork Estates, Stockdale, Sunset, Thompsonville, Three Rivers, Tierra Dorada, Tilden, Valle Hermoso, Valle Vista, Victoria Vera, Villarreal, West Alto Bonito, Zapata, Zarate
- Region
- South Texas
District Profile
- Hispanic 71.9%
- Anglo 24.4%
- Black 1.8%
- Asian 0.6%
- Other 1.3%
How this district voted
Source: Texas Legislative Council, PLANH2316 reports Red-100 (2020 Census) and Red-206 (2024 general election).
Committees
89th Legislature (2025)
Legislation
89th Legislature (2025)
Biography
Rep. Ryan Guillen is a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives, first elected in 2003 to represent District 31, which covers eleven South Texas counties — Brooks, Duval, Jim Hogg, Karnes, Kenedy, La Salle, Live Oak, McMullen, Starr, Wilson, and Zapata — stretching from the Rio Grande Valley north to outside San Antonio. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from Texas A&M University.
Born October 27, 1977, Rep. Guillen grew up working at his family’s feed store and farm in Rio Grande City. He briefly taught high school agriculture before pursuing public office. First elected in 2002 at age 24, he was one of the youngest members ever elected to the Texas House and has served in every regular session since taking office in January 2003. He also holds the rank of Major in the Texas State Guard.
Rep. Guillen was first elected as a Democrat and served nine consecutive terms in that party before announcing on November 15, 2021 that he was switching to the Republican Party, citing an increasing alignment between his values and the GOP on border security, energy, and public safety issues. He often voted with Republicans on key issues during his years as a Democrat, including on gun rights and pro-life measures, and was one of the few Democrats who did not travel to Washington, D.C. during the 2021 quorum-break over election legislation. In the 89th Legislature he and fellow South Texan Rep. Richard Peña Raymond were honored by House resolution as the longest-serving desk mates in the chamber’s history.
For the 89th Legislative Session, Speaker Dustin Burrows appointed Rep. Guillen as Chair of the House Committee on Agriculture & Livestock, as well as to the House Committees on Redistricting and State Affairs, plus the Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting.
Biography adapted from the official Texas House website.
Campaign Finance
TPR Coverage
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Service History
- Texas House, District 31 · 2003–present
