Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez announced Friday he is running for a second term in office.
Elected in 2018, Cortez previously served as city commissioner and as mayor of McAllen. He is also a retired certified public accountant.
“It has been an honor to serve the people of Hidalgo County,” Cortez said in a news release.
“The last 15 months have tested our community in ways most of us have never been tested before. But we have emerged a stronger, more unified community and we have demonstrated the power of working together as we battled to contain COVID-19.”
In the release, Cortez said he was “running out of time” to achieve his goals in office and hopes voters will elect him to a second term in the November 2022 general elections.
His first term was notably marked by a particularly difficult year in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw Cortez issue daily statements to the public about the state of coronavirus activity in the area, as well as leading meetings with county officials as well as city mayors and university officials on matters ranging from testing to face mask and social distancing protocols.
