Aura Velasquez /THE RIDER PHOTOS
Cameron County has released unofficial results for county, state and federal midterm elections, including the races for Texas governor, attorney general and county judge.
The county had 227,750 registered voters, 51,862 or 22.7% of whom cast a ballot during the Oct. 24 to Nov. 4 early voting period in Cameron County, according to the county’s Elections Department website.
In the race for Texas governor, incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott defeated Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke to gain a third term in office. Statewide, Abbott garnered 3,237,256 votes to O’Rourke’s 2,327,087, according to the Texas Secretary of State website. In Cameron County, however, O’Rourke outpaced Abbott by a vote of 41,605 to 34,264.
First elected in 2014, Abbott is the 48th governor of Texas. He also previously served as the 50th state attorney general, a justice on the Texas Supreme Court and a state district judge in Harris County, according to his campaign website.
In 2013, O’Rourke was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Texas Congressional District 16, and previously served on the El Paso City Council from 2005 to 2011, according to Ballotpedia.org.
In the race for lieutenant governor, Democrat Mike Collier garnered 39,269 votes, or 51.81% in Cameron County. The incumbent, Republican Dan Patrick came in second with 34,334 votes, or 45.30%. However, Patrick won statewide by a vote of 3,160,098 to 2,312,014.
A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Collier ran a historically close race for lieutenant governor against Patrick in 2018. He also serves in the state legislature with the goal of ensuring that promises made to teachers, retirees and students are delivered, according to his campaign website.
Patrick gained a third term as Texas’ lieutenant governor, being first elected in 2014 and reelected in 2018. He also served in the Texas Senate twice, representing part of Houston and Northwest Harris County, according to his campaign website.
On the ballot for attorney general, Democrat Rochelle Garza led with 41,605 votes, or 55.02%, in Cameron County and incumbent Republican Ken Paxton followed with 32,361 votes, or 42.79%. Statewide, Paxton won with 3,121,721 votes to Garza’s 2,304,527.
Raised in Brownsville, Garza is active on county and statewide boards, including “the State Bar of Texas’ Laws Relating to Immigration and Nationality Committee, and the Cameron County Bar Association,” according to her campaign website.
Paxton, who first became Texas’ 51st attorney general in 2014, previously served as a state representative for District 70 in the Texas House of Representatives for 10 years and as a Texas state senator for District 8.
In Cameron County, Democrat Vicente Gonzalez led in the race for U.S. Representative, District 34, with 38,380 votes, or 50.13%. Incumbent Republican Mayra Flores secured 35,658 votes, or 46.58%. Districtwide, Gonzalez was leading with 66,945 votes to Flores’ 56,278.
Texas Congressional District 34 consists of Cameron, Willacy, Kenedy, Kleberg, Jim Wells, Bee, Goliad and DeWitt counties, as well as part of Gonzalez, San Patricio and Hidalgo counties, according to Current Districts (texas.gov).
Flores was first elected to office, representing Texas’ 34th Congressional District, on June 21, 2022, after a special election on June 14, according to Ballotpedia.org.
A McAllen attorney, Gonzalez currently serves as U.S. District 15 representative; however, due to redistricting, he ran for the District 34 seat. He is a member of the Committees on Financial Services and Foreign Affairs and the Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth, according to his campaign website.
In the race for State Senator, District 27, Democrat Morgan LaMantia garnered 41,578 votes in Cameron County, or 55.16%, followed by Republican Adam Hinojosa with 33,799 votes, or 44.84%. Districtwide, Hinojosa was leading the race 84,504 votes to 83,984.
Texas State Senate District 27 consists of Kleberg, Kenedy, Willacy and Cameron counties, as well as part of Hidalgo County, according to Current Districts (texas.gov).
LaMantia is a graduate of the St. Mary’s University School of Law and is a community volunteer, supports the STARS scholarship programs and serves on the board of directors of nonprofits, including the Gladys Porter Zoo, according to her campaign website.
Hinojosa operates five businesses and works to grow and revitalize Corpus Christi, according to his campaign website.
Incumbent Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr., a Democrat, defeated Republican challenger and former county judge Carlos Cascos. Treviño secured 40,260 votes, or 52.77%, compared to Cascos’ 36,036 votes, or 47.23%.
Treviño was first elected to office after running unopposed in the Nov. 8, 2016, general election. He also served as a city commissioner and mayor of Brownsville from 2003 to 2007, according to Ballotpedia.org.
Cascos served as Texas secretary of state from 2015 to 2017 and was elected Cameron County judge in 2006 and again in 2014.
For complete election results, visit the Texas Secretary of State website.
