Zwiener wins Hays County race
The state representative expanded her lead over Tennyson Moreno in a district that has grown rapidly since 2020.
By Arjun Weber ·
Erin Zwiener won House District 45 with a wide margin.
Zwiener defeated Republican challenger Tennyson Moreno in a rematch for the seat. In 2024, she beat him by 13.5 percentage points. Her victory margin this time was nearly three times larger.
The district covers most of Hays County. The population there jumped 26% between 2020 and 2025. More than 63,000 people moved to the area for affordable housing and access to Austin and San Antonio via I-35.
Zwiener cited the strength of the top of the ballot in her victory. "I think more people in the district see and appreciate my work, but I can't overstate the power of [U.S. Senate candidate] James Talarico's work and [Texas candidate for governor] Gina Hinojosa and all the other candidates up and down the ballot," she said. She added that Texans are ready for new leadership after 32 years of Republican rule.
Moreno is a marketing professional and vice chair of the San Marcos Airport Advisory Board. He entered politics after joining Turning Point USA at Texas State University in 2020. The organization's late founder, Charlie Kirk, encouraged him to run for office. He left school to pursue the race.
The candidates differed on how to handle the county's growth. Zwiener wants counties to have the power to reject developments if roads or water supplies cannot support them. Moreno called growth without infrastructure a major challenge. He supports desalination research, water system upgrades, and incentives for lower-cost starter homes.
