Valley Power Brokers Trying To Get Yanez, Noe To Run Against Cuellar

This spring, it was personal. This fall, it’s going to be regional.

What is “it?” The CD 28 race.

During the primary, Ciro Rodriguez challenged Congressman Henry Cuellar, the man who had beaten him in the previous election cycle.  Now, following redistricting putting more of the Rio Grande Valley in Cuellar’s district, the race is going to pit region against region—or so it seems.

Without much being said about Cuellar’s record, but the full focus on a “local” candidate,” kindmakers in the Rio Grande Valley are doing their best to find someone to oppose the incumbent Congressman, who is from Laredo.

Hidalgo County Judge Ramon Garcia has already taken himself out of the running. Now, valley leaders are concentrating on appeals court judge Linda Yanez and state district judge Noe Gonzalez.
Yanez, who serves on the 13th Court of Appeals in the RGV was the first Hispanic woman to ever serve on an appeals court in Texas, and has reportedly expressed an interest in the race.

Yanez ran statewide in 2002, when she opposed Mike Schneider in the race for the open Texas Supreme Court, Place 1 seat left open because justice James Baker didn’t seek re-election.

With Gonzalez on the ballot this year in his judicial race and replacing him potentially difficult were he to swap races, I’d say Yanez is more likely, but I still don’t see Cuellar being opposed.

Of course, for those in Hidalgo County, the race to replace Cuellar isn’t for the same reasons as Ciro ran in the primary:

Hidalgo County’s Democratic Party chairman Juan Maldonado tells Action 4 News he’s narrowed the list of potential challengers to just two.

370th District Court Judge Noe Gonzalez and 13th Court of Appeals Judge Linda Yanez.

“Why is it important to have a local candidate? Two reasons. Because local of course means having them close to us and representing us directly. But more than that Henry Cuellar is a Republican.  He’s running as a Democrat, but he is Republican,” says Maldonado.

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