She Could Become the First Latina Member of Congress From Texas

We all should be interested in the US Senate race in Texas, where Democratic Congressman Beto O'Rourke is running what is called "a long shot" race against incumbent acid-wash Ted Cruz. Some polling shows O'Rourke already just single digits behind Cruz. O'Rourke is exactly the kind of young and dynamic Democratic insurgent who may be making miracles happen this year. (WataugaWatch has noticed him before.)

O'Rourke is currently in his third term as a US Congressman from the Texas 16th House District, representing El Paso -- one of the few solidly Democratic districts in Texas -- and his vacated seat is attracting its own bevy of Democratic primary candidates. The Texas primary will be March 6.

Veronica Escobar

The front-runner Democrat to replace O'Rourke -- Veronica Escobar, the former El Paso County chief executive officer -- would become the first Latina member of Congress in the Lone Star State’s 172 year history. She filed her federal paperwork to run back last August, so she's been in this campaign for months already. O'Rourke has endorsed her.

Escobar said she "was driven to run for Congress out of concern for the impact decisions made under President Donald Trump are having on El Paso, Texas' largest border city. There's a 'very dark cloud over our nation right now,' she said."

Escobar's chief rival in the Democratic primary appears to be Dori Fenenbock, the former El Paso school board president. It's more of the "Trump effect" -- so many high-quality female candidates looking to make a difference. Make that so many high-quality female and male candidates, as a matter of fact.

Escobar got the backing of Emily's List last October.