Terry Canales is a Democratic member of the

Texas House of Representatives The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Texas Legislature. It consists of 150 members who are elected from single-member districts for two-year terms. As of the 2010 United States census, each member represents abo ...

, serving since 2013. Terry Canales was born in Hidalgo County and is a native of South Texas. 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 Edinburg (Hidalgo County Seat), Elsa, North Pharr, San Carlos, La Blanca, Faysville, and portions of McAllen and Weslaco.

Biography

Terry Canales earned his Juris Doctor by the age of 24. Following in the footsteps of his father Terry A. Canales, a former State District Judge, and his uncle Arnulfo Gonzalez Jr., Canales graduated from

St. Mary's University School of Law St. Mary's University School of Law is one of the professional graduate schools of St. Mary's University, a private Catholic university located in San Antonio, Texas. Academics The School of Law has an enrollment of about 770 students, pursu ...

. 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. His father, Terry A. Canales, was the first Hispanic state representative to represent Jim Wells County, serving from 1973 to 1977. His sister Gabriella "Gabi" Canales served from 2002 to 2004. He is also the sixth member of his extended family to serve in the Texas House of Representatives. Perhaps the most recognized of Rep. Canales' family is his great uncle,

José Tomás Canales José Tomás Canales (March 7, 1877 – March 30, 1976) was an American businessman, lawyer, and politician based in Texas. He served five terms in the State House, where he was the only Mexican-American representative at the time. He is best kno ...

, 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.

Legislative committees

Canales is currently serving as a member of the following committees: *Criminal Jurisprudence, Member *Energy Resources, Member *Water Desalination, Member

Election history

2012

References

External links

*
Legislative page

Official website
Living people Democratic Party members of the Texas House of Representatives Hispanic and Latino American state legislators in Texas 1979 births People from Edinburg, Texas St. Mary's University School of Law alumni 21st-century American politicians {{Texas-politician-stub