MCALLEN, RGV – The next state Representative for Texas House District 37 says he wants to stay involved with the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council.
As a Cameron County Commissioner, Alex Dominguez has represented his county on the LRGVDC board of directors for the past few years. Having recently won a runoff election for the Texas House, he will likely be soon replaced on the council of government by another county commissioner.
All state and local elected officials in Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy counties are de-facto ex-officio members of the council of government (COG).
“The COG has been invaluable in helping me prepare to be a state representative. I have learned so much about regional projects and priorities,” Dominguez told the Rio Grande Guardian. “I hope to stay involved with the COG so I can hear from all the elected officials and educational institutions in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. So that I can present those issues at the state legislature.”
Dominguez scored a stunning victory in the Democratic Party primary runoff election against longtime House District 37 incumbent René Oliveira, securing almost 57 percent of the vote. As there are no Republicans on the ballot, Dominguez is set to be sworn into office as Oliveira’s successor next January.
“It has been a whirlwind since the election. I have had nothing but meetings, pretty much every day since election day. That just shows we are excited for this. We are not going to wait until January to get started. We have already started moving to start the transition appropriately,” Dominguez said.
The Rio Grande Guardian obtained an interview with Dominguez when he attended a reception for the Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Relations. The panel, chaired by state Sen. Eddie Lucio, met in the Upper Valley in readiness for a hearing on affordable housing. Dominguez said affordable housing would be a big issue for him at the state Capitol in Austin.
“I have already been in touch with the Senator Lucio and Representative Lucio. Yesterday I had a meeting with Nick Mitchell Bennett of the Community Development Corporation of Brownsville about his group’s housing projects. We know affordable housing is a critical issue for South Texas and especially my district. So, I am going to be heavily involved in this.”
On election night, Dominguez announced he would be holding town hall meetings in all the cities in his district. Asked about this, he told the Rio Grande Guardian:
“When I became the county commissioner four years ago, I started having town hall meetings right away for the different colonias that serve. It was a great way to learn from the residents, what their priorities are. Similarly, on June 10, which is a Sunday, I will be releasing the locations and dates for the town halls in every city in the district, so that I can hear from folks, hear what legislation matters for them at the state level.”
The cities Dominguez will hold town hall meetings in are: Brownsville, Rio Hondo, Los Fresnos, Arroyo City, Port Isabel, Bayview, South Padre Island, and Laguna Vista.
Asked if he would like to say anything about his victory, Dominguez said: “We are excited, we have a lot of energy and we are going to keep moving. We are going to keep this momentum because people are excited about this district and what we will be doing for them. It is a time for hope and a time for change.
“We also want to thank the people for coming out and being part of the democratic process, regardless of their party affiliation. At this point forward, we are talking about doing the best things for District 37 and for Texas.”
