Students and community members chanted “Vote him out!” and held up posters outside of state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr.’s Brownsville office last Tuesday in protest of the incumbent, who is seeking re-election.
The protest was organized by Texas Rising, a project of the Texas Freedom Network that “organizes and builds power with young people of color in a multi-issue, intersectional social justice framework,” according to its website.
“The purpose of the protest is to really back up our political power,” said Ofelia Alonso, Texas Rising field coordinator for the Rio Grande Valley and El Paso. “When we issued out those anti-endorsements, we issued them out knowing that we had a crowd of people to back us up, and so this is us showing Sen. Lucio that when we issued that anti-endorsement, we meant it. We meant that we were going to really work against him and make sure that people were aware of his voting record.”
A news release from Texas Freedom Network states Lucio was the only Democrat to support Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s “bathroom bill” and “other legislation to justify discrimination against LGBTQ+ Texans,” to vote for increased abortion restrictions and the only Senate Democrat to vote for school vouchers, which “take money away from public schools.”
Texas Rising focuses on voter registration and turnout of young Texans, organizing on college campuses, youth leadership development and trainings, grassroots and digital organizing, and issue advocacy.
Denisce Palacios, RGV organizer for Texas Rising, said the organization looks to engage youth and minorities to advocate issues such as immigrant rights, LGBTQ equality, voting rights, climate change, reproductive justice and criminal justice reform.
“We’re protesting him and everything that he’s done during the Texas Legislature that does not reflect the ideas and the values of the people in the Rio Grande Valley,” Palacios said. “If anything, it hurts our communities.”
Joe Colon-Uvalles, a local organizer and activist who was among the protesters, said it’s powerful to see young people come together.
“I think, in the best interest of those who are living here and who continue to live here and thrive here, it’s important to check and kick out people like Sen. Lucio who obviously doesn’t align with the values of the people present today,” Colon-Uvalles said.
The Rider asked Jose Medina, deputy communications director for Texas Freedom Network, what advice he would give to youth looking to be more involved in the community.
“Nothing else is going to matter if you don’t vote,” Medina said. “Early voting starts on Feb. 18. You should look up candidates, not just Sen. Lucio but everybody on the ballot. You should examine what they stand for and then go vote, either between the early voting period or March 3.”
The Rider tried contacting Sen. Lucio but as of press time Thursday, he had not returned calls.
Lucio, who has served District 27 since 1991, is being challenged by Democrats Sara Stapleton Barrera and Ruben Cortez, and Republican Vanessa Tijerina in the March 3 primary elections. Early voting starts Tuesday.
