Democrat Ray Lopez has risen to victory after an early lead in the race against Republican Fred A. Rangel in a race for Texas House District 125.
With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Lopez, a former San Antonio councilman, received 5,311 votes, or 58 percent, compared to businessman and Republican precinct Chair Rangel’s 3,780 votes, or 42 percent.
Lopez, 69, and Rangel, 64, had emerged as leaders in a special election that narrowed the field from five candidates – four Democrats and Rangel. Rangel received the most votes in the first round with 38 percent to Lopez’s 19.5 percent.
In a victory speech that followed appearances by Democratic presidential candidate and former U.S. Housing Secretary Julián Castro and State Sen. Jose Menendez (D-San Antonio), Lopez said he was excited to go to Austin and show Republicans that “we’re not evil.”
“You don’t have the corner on religion,” Lopez said, addressing the other side of the aisle. “You don’t have the corner on righteousness. And you sure don’t have the corner on caring. That’s us.”
Lopez came out ahead in the early vote total and held onto his lead throughout the night. As results rolled in around 8:30 p.m., Rangel told the Rivard Report that he planned to continue serving his community as he has for the last 25 years on various civic boards and committees.
Rangel expressed pride that he had run a campaign that did not turn negative.
“When you do, people get turned off,” he said. “Little do [candidates] know that now they’re encouraging people not to vote because they hate it.”
Both candidates experienced their first race against an opponent of another party. Lopez is a former Northside Independent School District board member who served four two-year terms on the San Antonio City Council, whose members are elected on a nonpartisan basis. Rangel, who runs architectural design and construction businesses Adco Professional Services and Adco Master Builders, has served various Republican Party roles and has run for the San Antonio City Council.
The runoff is a result of the shifting roles that came after the death of Bexar County Commissioner Paul Elizondo. Commissioners appointed then-Democratic State Rep. Justin Rodriguez to replace Elizondo, leaving Rodriguez’s position up for grabs.
Lopez and Rangel both focused their messaging heavily on school finance reform, an issue that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott proclaimed an emergency item for the Texas Legislature, along with property tax reform.
Rangel called these two issues “nonpartisan issues” but added that his “perspective on school finance reform is about the students, where [Lopez’s] favors the teachers unions.”
Asked earlier in the night to name a school finance reform strategy he supports that Republicans could also get behind, Lopez immediately rattled off an idea to extend oil and gas severance tax funding to the Texas Department of Transportation to free up funding for the rest of the state budget, including education. He said the state should also work to improve returns on the state’s Permanent School Fund, among other ideas.
Lopez now heads to Austin with the Legislature in full swing, with the regular session set to end on May 27.
Not looking all that positive for Repubs lately … there’s hope for a new Texas yet!
Our local GOP organizers are AWOL because there is no leadership at the Bexar Co Republican Prarty. Cynthia Brehm is a complete failure. She hasn’t been able to raise enough money to help candidates and her work ethic is lackluster. I hate to say it, but she’s also not too smart if she thinks that posting on FB all day is enough to get the job done.
This election can be put right on the shoulders of the Republican Chairman…..as so much failure has happened on her watch……….. such as being able to raise funds to keep this Party moving forward and maintaining an office for our Party to work in…….and so on and so on……….Cynthia is not supporting our Party……she is interested in only herself. If this Party doesn’t do something……..we will continue to miss out on good people serving our community.
Keep that blue wave coming!
This was already a democrat district; nothing changed.
The Texas Legislature does not end on May 6; it ends on May 27.
Democrats working for the unions. Republicans working for the children.
Unions protect the teachers who are devoted to student success.
I am very impressed with Fred Rangel’s positive and inclusive campaign, nicely organized and great candidate we will see more of him. Congratulations to Mr. Lopez but don’t be the one to start the negativity, this comment is unwarrented and not needed to do your job……“You don’t have the corner on religion,” Lopez said, addressing the other side of the aisle. “You don’t have the corner on righteousness. And you sure don’t have the corner on caring. That’s us.”
I’ve known Ray Lopez since he was on the NISD school board.
Ray Lopez is a class act and always has been.
Good news for our city