Veronica Escobar
{{short description|American politician (born 1969)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Veronica Escobar
| image = Veronica Escobar official portrait, 116th Congress.jpg
| caption = Official portrait, 2019
| office = Co-Chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee
| leader = Hakeem Jeffries
| alongside = Dean Phillips (2023), Lori Trahan, and Lauren Underwood
| term_start = January 3, 2023
| term_end = January 3, 2025
| predecessor = Debbie Dingell
Matt Cartwright
Ted Lieu
| successor = Maxwell Frost
| state1 = Texas
| district1 = {{ushr|TX|16|16th}}
| term_start1 = January 3, 2019
| term_end1 =
| predecessor1 = Beto O'Rourke
| successor1 =
| office2 = County Judge of El Paso County
| term_start2 = January 1, 2011
| term_end2 = October 10, 2017
| predecessor2 = Anthony Cobos
| successor2 = Ruben Vogt
| birth_date = {{nowrap|{{birth date and age|1969|9|15}}}}
| birth_place = El Paso, Texas, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Democratic
| spouse = Michael Pleters
| children = 2
| education = University of Texas at El Paso (BA)
New York University (MA)
| website = {{URL|escobar.house.gov|House website}}
|module = {{Listen
|pos = center
|embed = yes
|type = speech
|filename = Veronica Escobar speaks in support of the America Competes Act.ogg
|title = Escobar's voice
|description = Escobar speaks in support of the America COMPETES Act of 2022
Recorded February 4, 2022}}
}}
Veronica Escobar (born September 15, 1969) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for {{ushr |TX |16}}, based in El Paso, since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as an El Paso County commissioner from 2007 to 2011 and the El Paso county judge from 2011 until 2017.
Early life and education
Escobar is a native of El Paso, where she was born in 1969.{{cite web |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/416823-texas-new-members-2019|title=Texas New Members 2019|last=Perks|first=Ashley |date=November 15, 2018|website=The Hill|language=en|access-date=December 18, 2018}} She grew up near her family's dairy farm with her parents and four brothers.{{cite web |last1=Bassett |first1=Laura |title=Meet The Woman Who Could Be Texas' First Latina In Congress |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/meet-the-woman-who-could-be-texas-first-latina-in-congress_us_59b16c96e4b0dfaafcf61753 |website=HuffPost |access-date=October 25, 2018 |date=September 8, 2017}} Escobar attended Loretto Academy and Burges High School, before getting her bachelor's degree at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and her master's degree from New York University.{{cite web |url=http://www.elpasoinc.com/news/q_and_a/county-judge-veronica-escobar/article_109c5e6a-2505-11e1-a7c9-0019bb30f31a.html |title=County Judge Veronica Escobar | Q&A |publisher=elpasoinc.com |date=December 12, 2011 |access-date=April 27, 2018}}{{subscription required}}
Early political career
Escobar worked as a nonprofit executive and as Raymond Caballero's communications director when he was mayor of El Paso. When Caballero failed to get reelected, Escobar—along with Susie Byrd, attorney Steve Ortega and businessman Beto O'Rourke—considered entering public service; they started to discuss grassroots strategies with the goals of improving urban planning, creating a more diversified economy with more highly skilled jobs, as well as ending systemic corruption among city leadership.{{cite news |last1=Benson |first1=Eric |title=What Makes Beto Run?/Does Beto O'Rourke Stand a Chance Against Ted Cruz? |date=January 2018 |newspaper=Texas Monthly |url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/makes-beto-orourke-run/ |pages=78–108}}
Escobar was elected as El Paso County Commissioner in 2006 and as El Paso County Judge in 2010. O’Rourke, Byrd and Ortega also all ran for office and won; they came to be collectively referred to as "The Progressives." She also taught English and Chicano literature at UTEP and El Paso Community College.
U.S. House of Representatives
= Elections =
;2018
{{See also|2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas#District 16}}
Escobar resigned from office in August 2017 to run full-time in the 2018 election to succeed Beto O'Rourke in the United States House of Representatives for {{ushr|TX|16}}.{{cite web |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2017/08/25/el-paso-county-judge-veronica-escobar-announce-congressional-campaign/ |title=El Paso County Judge Veronica Escobar begins campaign for Congress |first1=PATRICK |last1=SVITEK |publisher=The Texas Tribune |date=August 25, 2017 |access-date=April 27, 2018}} As the district is a solidly Democratic, majority-Hispanic district, whoever won the Democratic primary was heavily favored in November. Escobar won the six-way Democratic primary with 61% of the vote.{{cite web |title=Our Campaigns - TX District 16 - D Primary Race - Mar 06, 2018 |url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=831352 |website=Our Campaigns |access-date=October 25, 2018}}
In June 2018, Escobar and O'Rourke led protests in Tornillo, Texas, against the Trump administration family separation policy that involved separating immigrant children from their families. Tornillo is just miles from the Rio Grande, the river that forms the border between the U.S. and Mexico in Texas.{{cite web |last1=Aguilar |first1=Julian |last2=Garcia Hernandez |first2=Juan Luis |title=Beto O'Rourke, Veronica Escobar lead Father's Day march on tent city housing separated immigrant children |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2018/06/17/texas-beto-orourke-tent-city-tornillo-immigration/ |website=The Texas Tribune |access-date=November 12, 2018 |language=en |date=June 17, 2018}} The Trump administration had created a "tent-city" in Tornillo, where separated children were being held without their parents. O'Rourke called this practice "un-American" and the responsibility of all Americans.{{Cite news |url=https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/immigration/2018/06/17/beto-orourke-leads-protest-against-separation-immigrant-families-tornillo-tent-city-children/708562002/ |title=Beto O'Rourke leads Tornillo protest against separation of immigrant families |last=González |first=María Cortés |date=June 17, 2018 |work=El Paso Times }}
Escobar won the general election on November 6, defeating Republican Rick Seeberger. She became the first woman to represent the 16th. Escobar and Sylvia Garcia of Houston became the first Latina congresswomen from Texas.{{cite web |url=https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/03/09/veronica-escobar-election-history-first-texas-latina-us-congress/404466002/ |title=Veronica Escobar is closer to making House history in Texas |publisher=Elpasotimes.com |date=March 9, 2018 |access-date=April 27, 2018}}{{cite web |url=http://www.khou.com/article/news/nation-now/veronica-escobar-on-path-to-make-latina-texas-history-after-congress-primary-victory/465-8a6dbb68-a6d8-4316-8bc4-46772b551371 |title=Veronica Escobar on path to make Latina, Texas history after Congress primary victory |publisher=KHOU |first1=Aileen B. |last1=Flores |date=March 12, 2018 |access-date=April 27, 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/veronica-escobar-sylvia-garcia-win-will-be-first-texas-latinas-n931471 |title=Veronica Escobar, Sylvia Garcia win, will be first Texas Latinas in Congress |date=November 7, 2018 |publisher=NBC News |access-date=November 12, 2018}} Although the 16th has been a majority-Hispanic district since at least the 1970s, Escobar is only the second Hispanic ever to represent it, the first being Silvestre Reyes, O'Rourke's predecessor.
;2020
{{See also|2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas#District 16}}
Escobar ran for reelection. She was unopposed in the Democratic primary and faced the Republican nominee, realtor Irene Armendariz-Jackson,{{cite web |last=Litton |first=Andra |title=List: 2020 March Primary candidates |url=https://www.ktsm.com/election/your-local-election/list-2020-march-primary-candidates/ |website=KTSM |access-date=December 14, 2019 |date=December 10, 2019}} in the general election. Escobar won with 64.7% of the vote to Armendariz-Jackson's 35.3%.{{cite web |title=Texas Election Results - Official Results |url=https://results.texas-election.com/races |website=Texas Secretary of State |access-date=November 26, 2020}}
File:DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas Tours CBP Donna Processing Center.jpg processing center in Donna, Texas in May 2021.]]
= Tenure =
On November 13, 2019, Escobar was elected as a freshman class representative in a secret ballot by her peers, filling the role of Katie Hill, who had resigned from Congress.{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2019/11/13/veronica-escobar-wins-freshman-leadership-seat-070413 |title=Rep. Veronica Escobar wins freshman leadership seat |publisher=Politico|date=January 1, 1970 |access-date=November 14, 2019}}
On February 4, 2020, Escobar delivered the Spanish-language response to President Trump's State of the Union Address. Her remarks touched on healthcare, immigration, the national debt, the importance of diversity, the 2019 mass shooting in El Paso, wealth inequality, gun violence, and the United States–Mexico–Canada trade agreement. She called Trump and the Republican-controlled Senate "the greatest threat to our security."{{Cite web|url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?468979-1/democratic-spanish-language-response-state-union|title=Democratic Spanish Language Response to State of the Union {{!}} C-SPAN.org|website=www.c-span.org|publisher=C-SPAN|language=en-us|access-date=2020-02-05}}
= Committee assignments =
= Caucus memberships =
- Congressional Hispanic Caucus
- Congressional Progressive Caucus{{Cite web|title=Caucus Members|url=https://progressives.house.gov/caucus-members|access-date=2021-03-29|website=Congressional Progressive Caucus|language=en}}
- New Democrat Coalition{{Cite web|title=Leadership {{!}} New Democrat Coalition|url=https://newdemocratcoalition.house.gov/members|access-date=2021-03-29|website=newdemocratcoalition.house.gov|language=en}}
= 2024 Democratic National Convention =
Escobar was one of four chairs of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.{{Cite web |date=2024-08-18 |title=Biden-Harris Infrastructure Coordinator Co-Chair of the Democratic National Convention |url=https://broadbandbreakfast.com/biden-harris-infrastructure-coordinator-co-chair-of-the-democratic-national-convention/ |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=Broadband Breakfast |language=en}}
Political positions
Escobar voted to provide Israel with support following 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.{{Cite news |last=Demirjian |first=Karoun |date=2023-10-25 |title=House Declares Solidarity With Israel in First Legislation Under New Speaker |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/25/us/politics/house-israel-vote.html |access-date=2023-10-30 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web |last=Washington |first=U. S. Capitol Room H154 |last2=p:225-7000 |first2=DC 20515-6601 |date=2023-10-25 |title=Roll Call 528 Roll Call 528, Bill Number: H. Res. 771, 118th Congress, 1st Session |url=https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2023528 |access-date=2023-10-30 |website=Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives |language=en}} She has voted with President Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time in the 117th Congress, according to a FiveThirtyEight analysis.{{Cite web |last=Bycoffe |first=Aaron |last2=Wiederkehr |first2=Anna |date=2021-04-22 |title=Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden? |url=https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-congress-votes/house/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423141050/https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-congress-votes/house/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 23, 2021 |access-date=2023-11-15 |website=FiveThirtyEight |language=en}}
Electoral history
=2018=
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Democratic primary results{{cite web|url=https://enrpages.sos.state.tx.us/ |title=2018 Primary Election Official Results |publisher=Texas Secretary of State |access-date=March 8, 2018}}
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Veronica Escobar
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 31,009
| percentage = 61.53
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Dori Fenenbock
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 11,071
| percentage = 21.97
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Norma Chavez
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 3,357
| percentage = 6.66
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Enrique Garcia
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 2,684
| percentage = 5.33
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Jerome Tilghman
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 1,495
| percentage = 2.97
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = John Carrillo
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 780
| percentage = 1.55
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 50,396
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Texas's 16th congressional district
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Veronica Escobar
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 124,437
| percentage = 68.46
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Rick Seeberger
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| votes = 49,127
| percentage = 27.03
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Ben Mendoza
| party = Independent
| votes = 8,147
| percentage = 4.48
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Sam Williams (write-in)
| party = Independent
| votes = 43
| percentage = 0.02
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 181,754
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box hold with party link no change
| winner = Democratic Party (United States)
}}
{{Election box end}}
=2020=
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Texas's 16th congressional district
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Veronica Escobar (incumbent)
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 154,108
| percentage = 64.72
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Irene Armendariz-Jackson
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| votes = 84,006
| percentage = 35.28
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 238,114
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box hold with party link no change
| winner = Democratic Party (United States)
}}
{{Election box end}}
=2022=
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Democratic primary results
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Veronica Escobar (incumbent)
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 30,954
| percentage = 87.96
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Deliris Montanez Berrios
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 4,235
| percentage = 12.04
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 35,189
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Texas's 16th congressional district
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Veronica Escobar (incumbent)
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 95,510
| percentage = 63.46
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Irene Armendariz-Jackson
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| votes = 54,986
| percentage = 36.54
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 150,496
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box hold with party link no change
| winner = Democratic Party (United States)
}}
{{Election box end}}
=2024=
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Democratic primary results
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Veronica Escobar (incumbent)
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 28,129
| percentage = 86.29
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Leeland White
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 4,470
| percentage = 13.71
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 32,599
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Texas's 16th congressional district
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Veronica Escobar (incumbent)
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 131,391
| percentage = 59.50
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Irene Armendariz-Jackson
| party = Republican Party (United States)
| votes = 89,281
| percentage = 40.43
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Deliris Montanez (write-in)
| party = Independent
| votes = 156
| percentage = 0.07
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 220,828
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box hold with party link no change
| winner = Democratic Party (United States)
}}
{{Election box end}}
Personal life
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- [https://escobar.house.gov/ Congresswoman Veronica Escobar] official U.S. House website
- [https://www.veronicaescobar.com/ Veronica Escobar for Congress]
{{CongLinks| fec=H8TX16109 |votesmart=99345 | congbio=E000299| congress=veronica-escobar/E000299}}
- {{C-SPAN|77885}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-hs}}
{{s-bef|before=Beto O'Rourke}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Texas's 16th congressional district|years=2019–present}}
{{s-inc}}
|-
{{s-prec|usa}}
{{s-bef|before=Madeleine Dean}}
{{s-ttl|title=United States representatives by seniority|years=201st}}
{{s-aft|after=Lizzie Fletcher}}
{{s-end}}
{{TX-FedRep}}
{{USHouseCurrent}}
{{USCongRep-start |congresses=116th–present United States Congresses |state=Texas}}
{{USCongRep/TX/116}}
{{USCongRep/TX/117}}
{{USCongRep/TX/118}}
{{USCongRep/TX/119}}
{{USCongRep-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Escobar, Veronica}}
Category:21st-century American women politicians
Category:21st-century members of the United States House of Representatives
Category:American women academics
Category:Burges High School alumni
Category:County commissioners in Texas
Category:County judges in Texas
Category:Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Texas
Category:Female members of the United States House of Representatives
Category:Hispanic and Latino American judges
Category:Hispanic and Latino American members of the United States Congress
Category:Hispanic and Latino American women in politics
Category:New York University alumni
Category:Politicians from El Paso, Texas
Category:University of Texas at El Paso alumni