Mother of murdered Navy sailor announces run for House District 37

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The mother of a Navy sailor who was killed near her base in Virginia during the summer is turning her daughter's death into a purpose as she officially announced her Democratic campaign for the Texas House of Representatives, House District 37.

Esmeralda Cantu-Castle has placed her hat in the ring to challenge two-term Republican incumbent State Representative Janie Lopez.

She is the second Democratic candidate to date to enter the House District 37 race.

Photo courtesy of Esmeralda Cantu-Castle

Cantu-Castle, who has lived in the lower Rio Grande Valley for more than 20 years, says her campaign will focus on bringing resources to House District 37, which covers all of Willacy County and a majority of Cameron County.

"I lost my daughter, Angelina Resendiz. With that, I started to fight," Cantu-Castle told ValleyCentral.

Since her daughter's passing, Cantu-Castle has been calling for accountability from the military and has advocated for survivors of sexual abuse.

Cantu-Castle has met with community leaders from across the nation who motivated her to run for office, including her friend, Claudia Jean Kennedy.

Kennedy is the first woman to reach a three-star general rank in the U.S. Army.

Cantu-Castle recalls Kennedy encouraging her to run for office.

"She's like, 'This world needs more people like you. People who will help other people. You're fighting for your daughter, but you're not just fighting for her; you're fighting for everyone's family ... You need to step up and run for office,'" Cantu-Castle recalls. "It kind of just resonated with me."

Cantu-Castle also attributes her run for office to her experience in law school.

Coming up on her third and final year at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, Cantu-Castle tells ValleyCentral that her classes have shaped her to fight for social justice and bring resources to the place she calls home.

Cantu-Castle tells ValleyCentral that her campaign will focus on bringing resources to District 37 to raise awareness about mental health, protect the nature preserves and beaches at South Padre Island, assist families struggling to pay rent, and provide for Veterans.

"My experience at law school is showing me the need for people to step up and help those who cannot help themselves. There are so many people who don't have a voice," Cantu-Castle said.

The primary race for House District 37 will take place on March 3, 2026.

Cantu-Castle emphasizes the importance of voting and how a single vote can determine the outcome of an election.

"People here don't use their voice, and I think they might not understand the power of their voice here in their local election," Cantu-Castle said. "Get up, get out, and vote. That is your power. When you don't use it, that means you're not acting and you're going to get acted upon."

Cantu-Castle is the second Democratic candidate in the District 37 race. She will challenge Democrat candidate Oziel 'Ozzie' Ochoa Jr., who announced his run for office Thursday afternoon.

Kristin Luckey announced in July that she will also run against incumbent Janie Lopez to secure the Republican seat in the primary election.