U.S. House of Representatives Texas District 24

Candace Valenzuela is the first Latina and the first African-American woman to serve on the board. Valenzuela is an educator and a lifelong Texan. She was elected to the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District board as an at-large representative, defeating an 18-year incumbent. Since joining the board, she has been an advocate for greater fiscal transparency and has worked to expand STEM education, vocational training and coding academies in district schools. She has also pushed for funding for school renovations, and she has focused on making sure the district is inclusive and welcoming to students of all backgrounds.