State Rep. Csar Blanco of El Paso announces run for Texas Senate

State Rep. Csar Blanco, D-El Paso, is running for the seat being vacated by state Sen. Jos Rodrguez.

In a video published Monday, Blanco alluded to the deadly mass shooting last month in El Paso, and said El Paso and West Texas “need a fighter.”

I’m in! I’m running State Senate to stand up for El Paso and West Texas. #txlege Check out my announcement video here: https://t.co/0rBopSWAG2

— Cesar Blanco (@CesarJBlanco) September 16, 2019

“Now more than ever, El Paso needs leaders willing to stand up to those that try to turn our community into a political punching bag by promoting dangerous rhetoric and hateful policies meant to tear us apart,” Blanco said.

Rodrguez, another El Paso Democrat, announced Friday he was not seeking re-election, and Blanco quickly emerged as a potential candidate for the seat. The Latino Victory Fund launched a draft campaign that night to convince him to run, and on Saturday morning, four lawmakers in the Senate district endorsed him, including three of his four colleagues from El Paso’s House delegation.

Blanco’s Senate run will create a vacancy in his House District 76, which he has represented since 2015. Both the Senate and House seats are in solidly Democratic territory.