Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González / Texas Border Business
EDINBURG, Texas – The crowd at Omar Ochoa’s election-night headquarters could barely contain itself. Supporters waved flags, shouted his name, and stamped their feet as the unofficial results rolled in: Ochoa had decisively defeated former mayor Richard Molina, capturing 7,438 votes to Molina’s 3,493, according to unofficial Hidalgo County returns. The victory was clear, the atmosphere electric.
Moments later, Ochoa walked onto the stage in Edinburg hand in hand with his wife, Leah Wise, and paused to take in the roar of approval. Then, to the delight of the crowd, he kissed her before beginning his speech. It was a moment that symbolized both triumph and gratitude — a culmination of months of campaigning built on faith, family, and optimism.
“Anybody who knows me and Leah knows me,” Ochoa said with a laugh as the audience cheered. “The game’s not over until it’s over — but this looks really good. I don’t have the words to describe how much I love everybody in this room right now. This is the culmination of the spirit of a community that is starving to move forward.”
The Edinburg mayoral race had been one of the most closely watched in Hidalgo County. Ochoa, a former city attorney and lifelong resident, launched his campaign in March after Mayor Ramiro Garza announced he would not seek re-election following a cancer diagnosis. The ballot featured four candidates: Ochoa, Molina, Johnny Garcia, and Jonathan Salinas. But from the start, Ochoa’s message of unity and forward progress — “Edinburg Forward” — struck a chord.
His campaign was as local and personal as they come. Ochoa knocked on doors, visited neighborhoods, and built a volunteer network that included friends, neighbors, and relatives. His father, Joe Ochoa, who served as mayor for thirteen years, was a constant presence on the trail. “My dad, the greatest man in the history of the city of Edinburg, taught me what leadership means,” Ochoa said on election night, drawing one of the evening’s loudest ovations.
Leah Wise, his wife and closest campaign partner, also became a defining figure. Ochoa credited her for the stamina and grace that carried the campaign through its nine-month journey. “If this had never happened, I would still be okay, because I have this wonderful person to come home to at the end of it all — my wife, Leah Wise,” he said, turning toward her again as the crowd applauded.
The win was not just decisive — it was historic. Edinburg saw its highest voter turnout ever for a municipal election. More than 8,800 residents voted early, surpassing 2021’s totals, and thousands more arrived on Election Day, forming lines that stretched outside polling places even after the 7 p.m. cutoff. “The turnout in this election is going to be the highest ever for the city of Edinburg,” Ochoa announced proudly. “You all deserve a round of applause for making that happen.”
For many in attendance, the night was about more than politics. It was about identity and renewal for a city that has grown into one of the fastest-expanding communities in the Rio Grande Valley. Ochoa’s victory, supporters said, reflected both continuity and change — the passing of leadership from one generation to another.
The mayor-elect’s tone was confident but inclusive. “Do we want to continue backward to times of chaos and divisiveness? Or do we want to move forward into a new era of people over politics, community over self?” he asked. The crowd, on cue, roared back, “Yes!”
Throughout the night, Ochoa returned again and again to his central theme — unity. “This is the result of people who come together for optimism, for positivity, for family, for community,” he said. “We are all in this together.”
As he wrapped up his remarks, Ochoa acknowledged the volunteers and campaign team who had walked neighborhoods, made phone calls, and braved the Texas heat. “We had exceptional people — so many that I can’t even go through the entire list,” he said. “You are my family.”
Then came the final rallying cry that has defined his campaign from the beginning. “When I say Edinburg, you say forward!” Ochoa shouted. The packed hall answered with thunderous rhythm: “Edinburg!” “Forward!”
The new mayor’s victory speech ended with a promise — not of partisanship, but of purpose. “This tells the community who we are — and who we’re going to be,” he said, his voice carrying over the crowd one last time.
For a city built on growth, resilience, and shared pride, the night belonged not just to Omar Ochoa, but to Edinburg itself — a city, as he put it, “ready to move forward together.”
