Republican Adam Hinojosa and Democrat Morgan LaMantia, who are trying to fill the seat that will soon be vacated by state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., were the only ones to speak about their stance on issues that impact the lives of Rio Grande Valley residents.

The forum, which was hosted by AIM Media Texas, was held at The Monitor in McAllen.

Hinojosa and LaMantia clashed on issues like border security and abortion, but they agreed on the need to bolster support for teachers and small businesses. They also acknowledged chronic drainage problems in South Texas.

The district mostly encompasses Cameron and Willacy counties, but it now also includes a significant portion of eastern Hidalgo County after it was redistricted. Its western boundary reaches McAllen.

Futuro RGV has been hosting candidate forums since 2001, but this year, potential Valley leaders, mostly Republicans, failed to participate in the 22-year-old tradition.

Only candidates in two other races agreed to participate, those running for State Board of Education District 2 and Texas Senate District 20.

The forum was supposed to feature Democrat Victor Perez and Republican LJ Francis, who are running for a place on the state’s board of education, as well as Democratic incumbent Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa and his Republican challenger Westly Wright, who are vying for State Senate District 20.

However, on Saturday morning, Kinerk said on Facebook that Francis and Wright, both Republicans, said they were ill and could not attend.

But LaMantia and Hinojosa did attend and answered more than a dozen questions from Monitor Metro Editor Naxiely Lopez-Puente and reporter Matt Wilson.

MAJOR PRIORITIES

The moderators began the discussion by asking what their priorities would be if elected.

LaMantia, who answered first, said she would seek to bolster higher-paying jobs and expand access to health care for Valley residents, while also working to fix Texas’ electric grid, which tossed the state into a crisis in 2021 during Winter Storm Uri.

Hinojosa said his priorities would include border security and making sure schools don’t indoctrinate and sexualize children in the classrooms. He also said he wants to prepare children to be successful in the workforce, while also focusing on economic growth, reducing taxes, and targeting the development of businesses in the district.

LEGISLATION

When asked what his first bill would be if elected, Hinojosa said his absolute number one issue is border security. Hinojosa said he would seek more public funding to make sure law enforcement agencies are fully equipped and hiring more personnel.

A lack of federal oversight in the Valley is forcing the state to take up the responsibility, he said.

LaMantia honed in on a bill she said didn’t pass due to the 2021 quorum break by Texas Democrats, who wanted to stifle the passage of Republican Senate Bill 1, a voting bill that eventually passed.

The legislation LaMantia referred to involves the use of color-coded symbols on vanity license plates that would relay information to law enforcement that indicates an occupant has a special needs diagnosis. In return, the officer would be better prepared to address and understand the situation during a traffic stop.

LaMantia said the bill would have been self-funded and would have paid for additional training for law enforcement by using the fees collected for the vanity license plate.

SENATE BILL 1

The next question centered on Senate Bill 1, which passed during the last legislative session and tightened Texas’ voting laws, while also diminishing local control over elections.

LaMantia said she did not support the bill, arguing it hinders the right to vote and infringes on civic involvement, which she said is a fundamental right.

Hinojosa said he supported the law because he said elections are the most important aspect of a republic and must be secure. He said the law makes sure there is no outside election interference while also noting that people in the Valley have been previously convicted of voter fraud.

THE FREEZE

Hinojosa said he was surprised and dismayed by the 2021 freeze, but he added he was pleasantly pleased that the state hasn’t seen a comparable instance since then.

He credited Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for addressing what he said were leadership issues with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, better known as ERCOT, and addressing the grid. If elected, Hinojosa said he would work to maintain the proper amount of energy needed to provide services to families and businesses.

LaMantia said the efforts weren’t enough. She said ERCOT needs more accountability and oversight and that the state needs a mechanism to make sure that there is oversight for the required weatherization procedures at power plants. She also singled out natural gas power plants, specifically saying they need to be weatherized.

Texas largely relies on natural gas production for energy, which ground to a halt during the freeze, according to the Texas Tribune.

BORDER SECURITY

Abbott has sent news release after news release over the past few months that highlight his efforts to bus migrants out of the Lone Star State to sanctuary cities like New York City, Washington D.C., and Chicago.

LaMantia called it a political stunt but acknowledged there is an immigration problem at the border.

However, she shot back at national media portrayals of the region, saying the Valley was not a third-world country nor a war zone. But the region does need the federal government to handle the situation because the nonprofits that help migrants are at a breaking point, she said.