Marcos Vélez is a blue collar Texas worker and labor leader who has spent his entire adult life fighting for ordinary people. He believes that every worker deserves dignity and opportunity should not only belong to the wealthy.

Putting in the hard work

Raised in Houston by a single mother who took back-breaking jobs to keep the family afloat, Marcos learned the value of hard work as a teenager working in his grandfather’s diesel shop. After high school, he went to work in Texas refineries, first pulling wrenches and later serving as an area operator. He knows the realities of shift work, long nights, and the responsibility that comes with keeping industrial plants running safely. Eventually, he joined the United Steelworkers, where he has spent more than a decade bargaining with major corporations for safer conditions, fair pay, and stronger benefits.

Marcos’ advocacy for working people has taken place in both the private and public sectors and across nearly every major industry including oil, paper, rubber, glass, and manufacturing. He has represented workers through contentious negotiations, startups, restructures, and day-to-day operations. Beyond Texas, he’s advocated for labor at the national level, including by participating in the White House Summit focused on strengthening the American workforce and serving on various labor councils. No matter where he is or what he does, he carries the same message with him: working people deserve power, respect, and a fair share of what they produce.

Service to community

Service is central to Marcos. He has spent years volunteering in nonprofit initiatives and community efforts that support families in need. Whether organizing disaster relief, assisting workers in crisis, spreading holiday cheer to the less fortunate, or building training programs for youth and underrepresented workers, he has always believed that leadership starts with showing up and working tirelessly for the people you serve.

Marcos is running for Lieutenant Governor to bring that commitment to the entire state. He believes Texans deserve a government that values work, strengthens families, protects seniors, supports public schools and teachers, and defends rural communities. He is running to build a Texas that honors the people who keep it moving every single day and to ensure that every family has a fair shot at a decent life.

Marcos lives in Houston with his wife, where they are raising their four kids with the same values of hard work and community service they learned growing up. Marcos and his family spend their free time exploring Texas, rebuilding old cars, and barbecuing in the park.