Two Democrats in the Texas House quickly announced their intention to run for the Senate seat being vacated by San Antonio State Sen. Leticia Van De Putte; both Trey Martinez-Fischer, and his party rival, Jose Menendez, said they were the best lawmakers for the job.
Both Martinez-Fischer and Menendez have had their toe on the starting line for many months now, waiting to see what became of Van De Putte’s run for Lt. Governor, and her bid for mayor, just recently announced.
Martinez-Fischer said he’s under no illusion that the dynamic in the Senate is changing, referring to the Republican sweep and now majority in the upper chamber.
“And I think the next senator from San Antonio is going to need to have a strong voice, be able to push back and stand their ground,” said Martinez-Fischer.
Martinez-Fischer is known for his 2011 fight against the Republicans’ redistricting plans, and for his point-of-orders, which are parliamentary tactics he’s used to kill Republican legislation in the House; he holds the record on the number of bill defeated by point-of-orders.
Menendez, on the other hand, is better known as being the Chair of the House’s Defense and Veteran’s Affairs Committee.
“We passed one of the largest expansions of veterans mental health services, and we fought for better and faster care, we didn’t wait on Washington,” said Menendez.
During her time in the legislature, Van De Putte has become a leading figure amongst Texas veterans. But before either candidate is able to fill the open seat, the legislature could well move into the 2015 session, Van De Putte has hinted at remaining in the senate during the first weeks of the session, should they need her vote.
