Candace Valenzuela

Candace Valenzuela (born 1984) is an American politician from the state of Texas. She is a regional administrator for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. Valenzuela was the Democratic nominee for Texas's 24th congressional district in the 2020 elections.

Valenzuela was born in 1984 to a Mexican-American mother and an African-American father in El Paso, Texas. Her parents served in the United States Armed Forces. As they weren't married, her mother, Mary Valenzuela, was not allowed to include her father on the birth certificate, and she gave her daughter her surname. Candace's parents married at Fort Hood, but divorced two years later.

After her mother left the military, the family lost their home. They stayed with her grandparents, with a Mormon family, and at a homeless shelter. At times when they had no place to stay, she slept behind a convenience store.

Valenzuela earned a full scholarship to Claremont McKenna College, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in government.

In 2017, Valenzuela was elected to the school board for Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District, defeating an 18 year incumbent. She resigned in December 2019.

In April 2019, Valenzuela announced that she would run as a Democrat in the 2020 elections for the United States House of Representatives in Texas's 24th congressional district, held by Republican Kenny Marchant. Marchant announced he would not seek reelection in August 2019. In the primary election, Valenzuela and Kim Olson advanced to a runoff election. Valenzuela defeated Olson in the runoff, and faced Beth Van Duyne in the November general election. Van Duyne defeated Valenzuela in the general election.

In March 2022, President Joe Biden appointed Valenzuela as the regional administrator for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), overseeing Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Louisiana, and Arkansas; this is the same position held by Van Duyne during the Trump administration.

Valenzuela and her husband, Andy, have two children. They live in Dallas, Texas.