Who Will Step Up in District 34?

By Diego Garcia III | Editor of The Brownsville Beacon

Filemon Vela Jr., son of former Brownsville Mayor Blanca Vela, and the 34th Texas Congressional District's member of the United States House of Representatives, will remove his Member of Congress pin from his lapel and put it in his jewelry box for safe keeping for the last time at the end of the House session in 2022.

Vela, a Democrat who has served his South Texas constituents since 2013, announced he will not seek reelection after his current term expires in 2022.

The Brownsville Herald posted the story on its online mashup of the Herald, the Valley Morning Star, and the Monitor, MyRGV late Monday morning. According to the article, Congressman Vela will continue to work to make sure worthy Democrats fill the seat for years to come through the work he will do with the Democratic National Committee.

President Biden has tapped Vela and his wife, Rose, to serve in the Democratic National Committee and the Presidential Commission on White House Fellowships, respectively.

The 34th District runs along the Texas Gulf Coast from Cameron to Kleberg Counties, hooks around Nueces County and runs up from Jim Wells County to the lower half of Gonzales County. 

The 64,000 dollar question is who will be stepping up to fill Vela's shoes? I'm certain the primary for next year's congressional election will have a full field. Will we see the local trend of politics continue as the same recycled politicians will.now turn their attention to seek federal office? 

Some of these local professional candidates seem to care only about the race regardless of the office. Will we see candidates who have run for the school board and municipal office throw their hat in the ring? Will it be the usual suspects asking for your vote again?

That might be a tougher task, since they'd have to campaign from the Island to small towns in Gonzales County like Nixon, but that probably won't stop candidates who will run just to see their names plastered all over town.

Local pundits are already throwing their educated guesses around. Some in the local blogosphere have said Amber Medina, a lawyer and candidate for State Representative in 2020 might throw her hat in the ring. 

Others are hypothesizing State Representatives like Alex Dominguez or Eddie Lucio III are mulling over a run for the US House of Representatives.

Will either of Vela's 2020 primary opponents re-enter the political fray now that the powerful incumbent with name recognition will no longer be on the ballot? Vela won the Democratic Primary in a landslide over Diego Zavala and Osbert Haro III in the March 2020 election. In previous primaries, Vela had run unopposed.

With the incumbent gone, it will be interesting to see who steps up and files their application for a place on 2022's primary ballot. With the news of Vela's intention to not seek reelection, it stands to reason challengers for the seat will make their intentions known soon.

The midterms will be here before we realize. Buckle up. It's going to be a bumpy ride.

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