I want to thank the Tejano Democrats and the Cordova family for hosting this tremendous event. We are community and this is what communities are built on, the relationships we have with one another.
As you know, I am your Hidalgo County Judge. Hidalgo County is the eighth most populous county in the state of Texas. That is a pretty high achievement when you consider there are 254 counties.
Since I took office three years ago, I have been trying to get a meeting with our governor because we have a lot of needs in Hidalgo County. Can you imagine that in three years I have not been able to sit down and speak to him.
What would I ask the governor? Well, I would ask some things but I would first tell him some things.
I would say, governor, we are one of the fastest growing areas. Governor, do you know that we graduate more high school students every year than what 15 other states graduate? Let me hear it from you (applause). And we have to give everyone of them an opportunity to succeed and become a productive member of society.
Governor, 31 percent of our people in the county do not have medical insurance. They need access to healthcare.
Governor, in 2018 it was reported to me that 27 percent of our children are food insecure. Governor in two years it was then reported to me that that percentage went up to 37 percent.
Governor, we need your help. I still have not had a meeting with him.
But today we are honored to have Beto O’Rourke here, who will be our next governor. And we are here to tell you that we are committed to serve you with excellent services. But all we ask of you is that you help us. Help us go out and vote, not only yourself but everyone that you can carry to the polls because I don’t want my voice to ever go to deaf ears again.
So, ladies and gentlemen, help us make Texas Blue.
Editor’s Note: The above speech was given by Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez at a rally hosted by Hidalgo County Tejano Democrats and held on the premises of the First City Loan Company in Donna on Saturday evening, February 19, 2022. The rally was addressed by primary election candidates that have been endorsed by Hidalgo County Tejano Democrats, including Judge Cortez. The keynote speaker was Beto O’Rourke, Democratic Party candidate for governor of Texas.
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