Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico employed Ana Lopez, a former leader of the University of Texas at Austin protest group "Cocks Not Glocks," as a legislative aide in early 2019. During her tenure from January to May, Lopez assisted in drafting three significant gun control bills introduced by Talarico, though none ultimately passed the Texas legislature.

"Cocks Not Glocks" gained attention starting in 2015 as a provocative response to a Texas law permitting licensed individuals to carry concealed firearms on state university and community college campuses. The group's protests included distributing over 4,500 dildos on the UT-Austin campus and employing slogans with sexual innuendo to challenge pro-gun legislation. The organization’s leadership transitioned from founder Jessica Jin, an alumna of UT-Austin who later relocated to California, to Lopez, who maintained the group’s approach of "fighting absurdity with absurdity."

Lopez also co-founded Students Against Campus Carry and completed a 53-page thesis in 2019 examining gun culture. Her legislative work with Talarico focused on bills targeting concealed-carry reciprocity in Texas, instituting background checks for firearm rentals at shooting ranges, and increasing the requirements for gun license acquisition.

While the proposed measures aimed to tighten gun regulations within the state, they did not secure enough support to advance through the legislature. Lopez’s involvement highlights a direct link between campus activism against campus carry laws and legislative efforts to introduce stricter firearm controls in Texas.