Former El Paso County Commissioner running for state seat

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Former El Paso County Commissioner Vince Perez announced his candidacy for Texas House District 77.

Perez made the announcement at Tom Lea Park, overlooking Downtown El Paso, which is contained within District 77.

Perez said it was an honor to give the people a strong voice in their county government while he served as County Commissioner.

Now, Perez says he wants to continuing improving El Paso.

"There's a lot of critical issues affecting our community, as I mentioned teacher pay, is one," Perez said in an interview with ABC-7 following his announcement. "When it comes to the rest of the nation, Texas lags other states. We need to make sure that teacher pay is among the highest in the nation."

Texas House District 77 covers parts of El Paso spanning from the Westside to the Lower Valley.