MAURO RISING:...Republican Dreams Of Congress. Seat Held By Democrat Vicente Gonzalez ...Glib Garza Lost Same Race In 2020 And 2022...Will Super Tuesday Vote Change That?...

 

By DUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ

McALLEN, Texas |...We'd written him off months ago, thinking this Raymondville guy was just another South Texas Mexican out for a few laughs. No one is laughing at Republican Mauro Garza as he campaigns for the 34th Congressional District seat held currently by Democrat Vicente Gonzalez.

Some partisan wags in area blogging are trying to brand glib Garza, shown cowboying in photo above, as a meaningless twig on a dying tree. They point to his two previous losses in candidacies for the House of Representatives. Well, that's true. So far, 60-year-old Mauro Garza is a loser.

Things are happening in his race, however.

Still atop the party's South Texas heap is former Congresswoman Mayra Flores (shown in photo below), one of four candidates for the party's nomination. All are staring at the upcoming March 5th, Super Tuesday vote as if at a seven-layer chocolate cake at PF Chang's.

Garza is still ranking behind Flores, but he is ahead of lesser candidates Laura E. Cisneros and over-matched Gregory Kunkle. The winner of next week's vote will face Gonzalez in the November General Election.

An educated man, Garza's business interests include raising cattle, commercial real estate, consumer product vending machines, and a restaurant/bar. He is said to be the wealthiest of the candidates in this race.

U.S. Congressional District 34 encompasses the totality of Kingsville, Raymondville, Weslaco, Harlingen, San Benito, Brownsville, and the Laguna Madre. Garza's strength is in the counties outside (north) of the Rio Grande Valley, where Flores is the overwhelming favorite.

March 5th is next Tuesday.

Look for Mauro Garza to surprise the pundits...

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