Meet Four Freshman Primary Winners Almost Certain to Win Elections this November
Two Latina Texas Judges, a Mexican immigrant, and a Marine Corp Captain walk into the House of Representatives…
Meet four Freshman Congressman you may see on the Hill in 2019. These candidates have won congressional primaries this year in districts where their party is largely in control. Because of this, these party nominees will almost certainly win their elections in November and become House Members in the 116th Congress, which will convene in January 2019. Let us introduce you.
Chuy Garcia; Illinois – 4
- Arrived in Chicago as a 5-year-old immigrant from Mexico
- Graduated from the University of Illinois
- Spent 6 years on the Chicago City Council, 6 years in the State Senate, and 8 years in his current seat on the Cook County Board of Commissioners
- Unsuccessfully challenged Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s reelection in 2015
Sylvia Garcia; Texas – 29
- Graduated from Texas Woman’s University and received her law degree from Texas Southern University in Houston
- In 1998 became Houston City Controller
- Elected in 2002 to the Harris County Commissioners Court; the first woman, and first Latina to hold that position
Van Taylor; Texas – 3
- Graduated Harvard College and Harvard Business School
- Captain in the Marine Corps, winning awards for his services as a platoon commander and intelligence officer in Iraq
- Elected to the Texas Senate in 2014, previously serving four years in the state House
Veronica Escobar; Texas – 16
- Graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso
- Taught Chicano Literature at UTEP
- Served as El Paso County Commissioner
- Served 7 years as El Paso County Judge
These profiles were prepared with the assistance of biographical and campaign information from the Ballotpedia website by Rich Cohen. Cohen is a co-author of The Almanac of American Politics, a reference work published biennially by Columbia Books Information Services. The Almanac of American Politics contains in-depth profiles of every governor, senator, and house member in office. Order the 2018 edition today to better understand the context of the people and perspectives shaping the issues that matter to you!
