Meet Tanya

My name is Tanya Lloyd. I am a mom, a kindergarten teacher, a lifelong Texan, and a proud progressive running for Congress with a vision for an American Rural Revival—rooted in community, equity, and land stewardship.

I grew up on a 45-acre farm outside Lockhart, Texas, where my family built our home with our own hands and lived off what we could grow and make ourselves. My parents, both educators, and my grandmother, a civil rights activist, instilled in me a deep respect for every person and a lifelong commitment to justice and service. From an early age, I learned the meaning of hard work and resilience—lessons that have shaped every chapter of my life.

After high school, I set out to find my path, working in car dealerships, accounting, and real estate before becoming a mother. My journey has been marked by both quiet privilege and struggle. During my high-risk pregnancy, I was confronted with the stark reality that, unlike me, not every woman has the support network, financial stability, or access to healthcare needed to make the choices I was able to make and see my pregnancy through safely. That experience, and the years I spent teaching in Title I schools, opened my eyes to the inequities that persist in our communities and transformed my perspective on reproductive rights. I became determined to ensure that every woman has the right to make decisions about her own health, and that every family has access to the safety nets they need.

At 33, I returned to school as a nontraditional student, earning my teaching degree with the support of my family. For nearly two decades, I have taught in public schools, serving children and families from all walks of life. My classroom has been a window into the challenges faced by so many: parents working multiple jobs, children struggling with hunger or instability, and families doing their best in a system that too often overlooks them. I have seen firsthand how hard it is to “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” when you only have flip-flops.

These experiences have fueled my commitment to lead an American Rural Revival. Rural Texas is facing a crisis: hospitals are closing, healthcare is out of reach, and basic services are disappearing. Families must travel hours for medical care, and too many remain uninsured. Our schools are underfunded, teachers underpaid, and children left without the resources they need to thrive. The rising cost of housing, food, and energy is squeezing working families, while rapid growth threatens to erase the character and opportunity of our small towns. I am committed to rebuilding our rural infrastructure, investing in public transportation, and ensuring that affordable housing, healthcare, and job training are rights, not privileges. I will fight for a single-payer healthcare system, restore and expand reproductive rights, and guarantee equitable funding for our rural schools. I will champion policies that support family farmers, protect our water and land, and create good-paying jobs in clean energy and sustainable agriculture.

My life has been shaped by the lessons of my mentors—my grandmother, who stood up for justice and taught me to treat everyone with dignity; my colleagues, who modeled patience and compassion; and my husband and daughter, who remind me every day of the power of love, learning, and inclusion. I have spent forty of my fifty-five years in Lockhart, and I am deeply invested in the people and future of this district.

Our democracy is strongest when every voice is heard and every person has a seat at the table. I am running for Congress because I believe in the promise of our community and the strength we find when we come together—across differences, across generations, and across the challenges we face. Together, we can build a future where opportunity is not a privilege, but a promise kept to every Texan.

This commitment to service is not just a campaign slogan—it is the foundation of my life’s work. I have devoted countless hours to strengthening our community through volunteer leadership and hands-on service, including:

  • Founding member, Lockhart Future Farmers of America Booster Club
  • President, Lockhart Athletic Booster Club
  • Manager, Chisholm Trail 4-H Club
  • President and founding member, Caldwell County Aggie Moms
  • Member, Caldwell County Fair Association
  • Chair, Pastor Parish Relations Committee, St. Mark United Methodist Church (Austin)
  • Member, Education Committee, First Lockhart Methodist Church
  • Member, Lockhart Independent School District (ISD) Bond Oversight Committee
  • Member, Lockhart ISD District Advisory Committee
  • Member, Clear Fork Elementary Campus Advisory Committee
  • Member, Lockhart High School Class of 2020 Project Graduation Committee
  • Sunday School teacher and Vacation Bible School volunteer at St. Mark and First Lockhart United Methodist Church (UMC)
  • Food pantry volunteer, St. Mark UMC
  • Clear Fork Elementary Lego Club and Science Fair/STEM Night Coordinator
  • Meals on Wheels volunteer
  • Salvation Army bell ringer
  • United Methodist Army volunteer (Rita recovery)
  • Scholarship committee member for Lockhart Athletic Booster Club, FFA Booster Club, and Aggie Moms of Caldwell County

I invite you to join me once again —to demand better for our families, our neighbors, and the future of Texas’s 27th Congressional District.