State Representative Mihaela Plesa is a lifelong Texan who proudly serves the residents of Texas House District 70, which covers portions of Plano, Allen, Dallas, and Richardson in Collin County. She is the first-generation daughter of Romanian immigrants who fled Soviet communism to pursue the American Dream and enjoy the Texas Miracle. 

 

As a young child at Brinker Elementary in Plano ISD, Mihaela grew up at a time when Texas was fully funding our public schools which allowed her to thrive under the care and instruction of amazing public school teachers and faculty. Armed with a world class education from Texas schools, Mihaela started her own small business in fashion merchandising and design, focusing on Texas-made products, while helping other entrepreneurs start and grow their own small businesses. 

 

Ultimately, Mihaela felt compelled to serve her community in a more meaningful way and sold her successful business to pursue a legislative career. Before running for the Texas House, Mihaela served as a legislative director and successfully  passed legislation that expanded the Texas’ Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force, expanded Medicaid to Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC), and passed a constitutional amendment that was overwhelmingly ratified by the voters to deliver property tax exemptions to Gold Star families (Prop. 8, 2021). 

 

In 2022, Mihaela answered the call from her neighbors and community leaders to step up and run for State Representative. Mihaela was determined  to give Collin County fresh leadership and an independent voice in Austin, not another party-line vote. Mihaela succeeded in the most competitive Texas House election that cycle and was chosen by the voters to be our voice in the Texas House. 

 

During her first term, State Representative Mihaela Plesa leveraged her three regular sessions and four special sessions of legislative experience to be an effective lawmaker passing eight bills out of the House of Representatives and securing a budget rider that increases Early Childhood Intervention funding by $6.2 million in the final budget. 

 

During the 88th Legislative Session, Representative Plesa’s spent the majority of her time focused on full funding public education, reducing recapture, expanding insurance coverage for mental health treatment, keeping our communities safe, advocating for senior citizens, and standing  up for survivors of assault and abuse. 

 

As a member of the prominent Pensions, Investments & Financial Services (PIFS) Committee, Representative Plesa worked to provide a cost-of-living-adjustment to retired teachers and secure the  retirement investments of teachers, firefighters, and police officers. While serving on the International Relations & Economic Development Committee, Representative Plesa focused on making high quality child care affordable for more families, supporting small businesses, and increasing access to capital for women and minority-owned businesses. 

 

Representative Mihaela Plesa is proud to stand on her legislative record of bipartisan achievements for the people of Texas. 

 

Rep. Plesa is the proud product of Texas public schools. She earned her diploma from Newman Smith High School, a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Texas, and a master’s degree from Southern Methodist University. Representative Plesa is proud to be the first democratic woman elected to represent Collin County in the Texas Legislature, and the first Romanian-American elected in the great state of Texas. She enjoys hiking, camping, and trying new family-owned restaurants with her fiancé Todd Hollenshead.