U.S. Rep. Hinojosa announces he will seek re-election

PHARR — U.S. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa announced Wednesday he will seek an eighth term in office, saying he wants to continue to work on important issues for South Texas.

Citing the Rio Grande Valley’s population growth since the nation’s 2000 census, Hinojosa said it needs a representative in Washington, D.C., with experience securing federal investments to handle the growth.

With the Democrats in control on Capitol Hill, Hinojosa said Congress is considering immigration, health care reform and other national issues with local importance. But he added he wants to draft legislation for border security and trade, job creation and water conservation in South Texas.

“Those are very timely and important issues to deep South Texas,” Hinojosa said. “I am going to continue to work on them because I’ve done it and I know how (Washington, D.C.) works.”

Hinojosa made his announcement during a Veterans Day celebration at the Pharr International Convention Center.

U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi, Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, McAllen Mayor Richard Cortez and Edinburg Mayor Richard Garcia spoke in support of Hinojosa, who was first elected to Congress in 1996.

He will likely face a familiar opponent in the general election.

Republican Eddie Zamora, a McAllen businessman, is running for the third time against Hinojosa.

Hinojosa won handily in the November 2008 election, capturing 40,000 more votes than Zamora to claim 72 percent of the ballots cast in the race.

However, Zamora, an active member of the Tea Party movement who hosted his own campaign event Wednesday at the church where he is a minister, said many in the northern part of Hinojosa’s district are fed up with excessive spending in Washington.

“I’m going to put an emphasis on fiscal restraint,” Zamora said. “The economy is a big issue and it’s done nothing but go down and down.”

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Jared Janes covers Hidalgo County government, Edinburg and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4424.