Brownsville’s newly elected mayor, commissioners take oath of office

BROWNSVILLE — Three officials here have officially been sworn into office.

John Cowen, Bryan Martinez and Linda Macias took their oath of office Tuesday inside the city commissioners chambers by Honorable Judge Rolando Olvera of the United States District Court-Southern District.

JOHN COWEN

Cowen was elected as the mayor of Brownsville. He defeated Jessica Tetreau, Erasmo Castro and Jennifer Stanton in the mayoral race. Trey Mendez, the former mayor elected in 2019, chose not to seek a second term.

Cowen is a member of the city’s Audit and Oversight Committee, chairman of the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation and president of Cowen Group Ltd., with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Finance from the University of Notre Dame.

He was elected to the city commission in 2019.

BRYAN MARTINEZ

Martinez was elected as the city’s District 1 Commissioner. He defeated Nurith Galonsky Pizaña, the only incumbent who ran for reelection.

Martinez has been active in the community for more than 10 years, serving with the United Way, Sombrero Festival, and Leadership Brownsville, according to his campaign page on Facebook.

The 28-year-old was also the chief of staff for City Commissioner Roy De Los Santos.

LINDA MACIAS

Macias was elected as the city’s District 2 Commissioner. She defeated Ernesto Lopez and Caty Presas Garcia.

Find the complete, unofficial election results of races across the Rio Grande Valley here.