Gonzales dominates in re-election bid

McALLEN -- State Rep. Veronica Gonzales will return to Austin in January for her third session in the Texas Legislature.

Constituents in District 41 gave the McAllen lawyer a clear stamp of approval, opting for the Democrat 2-to-1 over her Republican opponent, Javier Villalobos.

Her victory was a disappointment for state Republicans, who redrew the district in 2001 in the hopes of creating a Republican seat in overwhelmingly Democratic Hidalgo County.

The reconfigured district includes wealthier parts of McAllen, Edinburg and Mission, the city of Palmhurst and neighboring Alton. In 2004, a majority of District 41 voters cast their ballots for President George W. Bush - the only House district in Hidalgo County to endorse a second term for the former Texas governor.

This election was residents' first chance to select a Republican to represent the district, however. Gonzales' opponent in 2004 dropped out, and she ran unopposed in 2006.

"Like any race, it's dependent upon the candidate," Gonzales said Tuesday evening, "and I'm just really proud that my constituents are approving of the work that I'm doing, and I want to continue to win their trust."

Villalobos attributed the lopsided results to voters' enthusiasm for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama spilling over to local Democrats.

The conservative lawyer's campaign ads, many of which were targeted at conservative talk radio listeners, argued that Gonzales was too liberal for her district, noting that she supports same-sex marriage and abortion rights.

He put more than $8,000 of his own money into his campaign on the strength of the district's conservative voting history.

But in the end, little could dent the popularity of his two-term Democratic opponent.

"We did what we could," Villalobos said. "We both ran a clean race, and I'm proud of that."

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Sara Perkins covers Mission, western Hidalgo County, Starr County and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4472.