Garcia and Walle Enter Race After Green’s Retirement to Be First Hispanic in Congress
Style Magazine Newswire | 11/17/2017, 9:29 a.m.
Rep. Gene Green
Source: Houston Public Media
The race to replace Congressman Gene Green has already begun. Green has represented Texas’ majority Hispanic 29thdistrict for nearly a quarter century. State Senator Sylvia Garcia is making her second run for the Democratic nomination. She ran in the district’s first primary in 1992. That year saw three candidates split the Latino vote, helping Green make the runoff and ultimately win. State Representative Armando Walle has also declared his candidacy. Rice University political scientist Bob Stein expects the field to grow more crowded, with former Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia and State Representative Carol Alvarado as possible contenders. Green has held his seat thanks to strong support from Hispanic constituents. He beat his last primary challenger, Adrian Garcia, by roughly two-to-one among Latino voters. But Stein said it’s unlikely any Anglo candidate could repeat Green’s feat next year. The Harris County Republican Party confirms that no GOP candidate has yet declared plans to run for Green’s seat.
