Latino Congress Candidate Wants Prosperity Along The Border

Pete Gallego describes his decision to run for the 23rd Congressional District of Texas as a personal one. “Me decía mi abuela que uno no puede quejar si no quiere participar. Frankly, I got tired of complaining.” He will be challenging Republican incumbent Quico Canseco for the seat.

Gallego, a Democrat, is referring to what he termed “the dysfunction” of Congress where games are being played there is no agreement there is rather extreme disagreements that prevent anyone from reaching a reasonable solution. What’s worse these disagreements ultimately hurt the people of South Texas, he said.

As an elected official since 1990, and most recently the house representative for District 74 in Alpine, Gallego goal characterizes his public service as a way to guard the future. “For me it’s all about making sure our kids have more opportunities than we did. Part of that is to serve as an example with respect to being able to have a civil discourse. Part of my frustration is that extremists are leading the conversation, as a result a lot of people are tuning out.”

The issues Gallego told NewsTaco he would focus on if elected to Congress were: small businesses, military and veterans issues, and his favorite, constituent service. When it comes to issues Gallego says his constituents are concerned about, he told us “the economy is a huge issue, and oil and gas are going strong while other sectors are not.”

Ultimately he said he would be focused on helping job growth and incentivizing small business along the border district. Gallego told us he has spent time in most areas of the district which stretches from west Texas near El Paso to San Antonio and parts of the border.

The fact that the Supreme Court blocked Texas is most recent redistricting maps means that Gallegos’  district, like all the other political districts in Texas, is currently in limbo. Nonetheless, Gallego told us he was enthusiastic.

“I feel like people are personally invested in me, there’s really a lot of enthusiasm. I was very young when I ran the first time,” he told us. “People feel like they watched me grow up and I’m so flattered and so honored I’m going to make sure I don’t disappoint.”