Texas’ District 38 state seat will be represented by Brownsville attorney Erin Elizabeth Gamez.
Unofficial results of Tuesday’s primary election indicate Gamez defeated her challenger Jonathan Gracia to represent the Democratic Party in the November General Election. Because there is no Republican running for this position, Gamez will run unopposed to take hold of the District 38 House seat.
With 38 of 38 precincts reporting late Tuesday night, Gamez received 58.26% of the vote or 5,415 votes to Gracia’s 3,879 votes or 41.74% of the vote.
Gamez took the early vote receiving 3,832 votes or 58.19% of the vote to Gracia’s 2,753 votes or 41.81%, unofficial results indicate.
Eddie Lucio III served eight terms in the office as the District 38 state representative but announced last year that he would not run for reelection. His first term began in 2007.
Gamez said she would know just how well her campaign did once the early vote was counted at about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. As in past elections, the early vote has pretty much determined the winner of a particular race.
“I feel as confident as I have ever been, I feel truly blessed,” she said prior to the release of the early voting numbers.
Both Gamez and Gracia were busy visiting the various polling locations on Tuesday, encouraging and greeting those who were showing up to vote.
Gamez provided water and breakfast tacos to her volunteers and others that were there. She said she felt confident and blessed to have run a great campaign with her campaign team.
“It’s a totally different game. It’s a totally different game with a totally different energy, enthusiasm and we feel really good. We feel very confident in Brownsville and the effort that we have put into this for the past several months. It’s been incredible. We know we left nothing on the table, and I am nothing but proud of our team,” she said.
Gamez is an attorney practicing civil, family and criminal law with her father’s firm, The Law Offices of Ernesto Gamez, Jr., P.C., Justice For All, and serves as a defense attorney with the Cameron County Mental Health Diversion Court, is a member of the U.S. District and Bankruptcy Courts of Southern District of Texas, the State Bar of Texas, the Cameron County Bar Association, to name a few.
Gamez ran against Lucio III in March 2020 but lost the election by 1,128 votes.
“We came so close and it felt like District 38 was really ready for that, but we went up against somebody who had been there for 14 years. It was a huge start out of the gate, but this time around it’s been beautiful. I have nothing but thanks to give to everybody,” she said.
Gracia said Tuesday was a very positive day for his campaign with a lot of high emotions. On his Facebook page, Gracia was encouraging those who had not voted to get out and vote.
“We have been getting a lot of feedback from the community so it has been a very productive day,” he said.
Gracia previously served as Cameron County Justice of the Peace Pct. 2, Place 2. He also worked as an assistant district attorney for the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office.
“I am super excited. We have put in tremendous work for this campaign, and I feel like the numbers are going to be able to show us that the City of Brownsville and all the constituents within District 38 are going to be pleased with the work we were able to accomplish for them,” Gracia said late Tuesday afternoon.
The majority if not all of House District 38 covers the City of Brownsville.
“It would be a tremendous blessing (to win the seat), and it is a responsibility I have prepared for in the last 20 years of public service so if that was to occur. It would be an honor to represent the City of Brownsville,” he said.
