TX HD 119: Gutierrez Announces For Puente Seat

San Antonio City Councilman Roland Gutierrez, long viewed as the favorite to replace retiring State Rep. Robert Puente (D-San Antonio), has formally announced his candidacy for the HD 119 seat:

Gutierrez, 37, is the only announced candidate in next March’s Democratic Party primary for the District 119 slot that Puente — the dean of the Bexar County legislative delegation — has held for 16 years. The district covers a vast stretch of south and east Bexar County and is considered overwhelmingly Democratic.

Because of San Antonio’s term limits, Gutierrez would have to leave the council at the end of his second two-year term in 2009. But he will depart earlier — in mid-December — because of a state law that will require him to resign from his South Side council seat when he files for the House race.

Gutierrez said Puente’s decision not to run again “crystallized things for me, but I had been heavily leaning towards running for about two months before” Puente announced earlier this month that he would not seek re-election.

A Jefferson High School graduate born and raised in San Antonio, Gutierrez has been an attorney for nine years.

He said public education would top his legislative agenda if he were elected.

“It is obvious that Edgewood or (San Antonio Independent School District) don’t have anywhere near the resources that Northside (Independent School District) has,” he said.

No word on if any Republicans will bother to make a race in this district. If they do (and, if any other Democrats enter the primary for that matter), they’ll have a tough race against Gutierrez.

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