State Board of Education member Ruben Cortez of Brownsville appeared headed for a runoff against Harlingen businessman Luis Villarreal Jr. in the race for the Democratic nomination for State Rep. District 37.
Results from Tuesday’s first-in-the-nation Texas Primary were slow to materiallize even though the election eventually will decide who will compete in November to represent Willacy County, Harlingen and part of Brownsville in the Texas House of Representatives.
With 17 of 17 Willacy County precincts reporting and 46 of 46 precincts counted in Cameron County, the results of the Democratic and Republican party primary elections were starting to became evident about 10:30 p.m.
Preliminary unofficial results reported at 10:30 p.m. by the Texas Secretary of State’s Office and Cameron County Department of Elections showed Cortez with 3,348 votes, compared to 3,070 for Luis Villarreal Jr and 1,685 for Frank Puente Jr., a Harlingen city commissioner.
Only two candidates ran for the Republican nomination, meaning the winnner secured the nomination outright. Unofficial results reported earlier showed that San Benito school board member Janie Lopez, received 6,524 votes and the nomination, compared to 2,782 votes for Palm Valley Mayor George Rivera.
“The people went out and voted, and their voices are going to be heard in Austin. We’re going to have a red wave here. Get ready for the tsunami that’s going to come in November,” Lopez said shortly after 9 p.m.
Districts for the Texas House of Representatives were redrawn after the 2020 Census and approved in late December.
The new Texas House District 37 includes all of Willacy County including the cities of Raymondville, Lyford, and San Perlita and much of Cameron County, including the cities of Bayview, Combes, Harlingen, Indian Lake, Laguna Vista, Los Fresnos, Palm Valley, Port Isabel, Primera, Rancho Viejo, Rangerville, Rio Hondo, South Padre Island and parts of Brownsville, La Feria, and San Benito.
Villarreal, a self-employed Harlingen businessman who has residences in Harlingen and Raymondville and is the former staff member for retired state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., conceded about 10 p.m. that he had come in second and would face a runoff.
During a Futuro RGV forum in January, Villarreal said he welcomed the new district and looked forward to representing its cities and towns.
“Yes the new district may be more competitive but it brings a new voice to the area,” Villarreal said in response to a question that noted the district was drawn to bring in more Republicans. “It brings in cities that haven’t been heard from in years, with Harlingen 100% in the district, not split in half like before. … This is the district I decided to run for, not a district that is lopsided for a Democrat or a Republican. I am here to win this district. … It’s about our citizens and ensuring they get fair representation … this district, when it comes to small cities does that, so I support this district and I welcome the challenge in November.”
