On March 12, voters will decide whether to elect Democrat Ray Lopez or Republican Fred Rangel to represent San Antonio's House District 125 in the Texas Legislature.
The seat was vacated by Justin Rodriguez, who stepped down to accept a new role as Bexar County Commissioner for Precinct 2. Governor Greg Abbott called a special election for Feb. 12, which featured one Republican and four Democratic candidates.
Rangel came out on top with 37.91 percent of the vote, followed by Lopez with 19.49 percent. A runoff was triggered since no candidate achieved 50 percent.
Lopez represented District 6 on the San Antonio City Council for the maximum amount of terms allowed. Most recently, he chaired the nonprofit San Antonio Mobility Coalition. Lopez' priority issues are fixing Texas' public school system, funding transportation projects and promoting economic growth.
Rangel is a small business owner and self-described life-long conservative and Republican activist. He has previously run for City Council and positions within the Republican Party. The candidate's top issues are school finance reform, property tax reform and economic development.
The 86th Legislative session is currently underway and runs until May 27. The bill-filing deadline was March 8, so these candidates won't be able to submit their own legislation but will be able to vote on others.
Who will District 125 residents choose to be their next state representative? What issues matter most to these voters?
More information about the runoff election is available from the Bexar County Elections Department.
Guests:
- Fred Rangel, Republican candidate for Texas House District 125
- Ray Lopez, Democratic candidate for Texas House District 125
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This interview aired on Monday, March 11, 2019.
