Texas Border Business
AUSTIN, Texas – Today, Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr., announced he will not be seeking re-election to the Texas Senate, ending his legislative career after more than three decades of service to the State of Texas.
Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa released the following statement:
“Senator Eddie Lucio has dedicated his life to public service. I have worked alongside him in the Texas Senate for nearly two decades. As a longtime vice chairman of the Senate Education Committee and most recently as vice chair of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Lucio has been a strong voice for the people of his district and the Rio Grande Valley.
As a legislator, Senator Lucio worked to improve our public education system. He led the charge in ensuring our children with disabilities had the resources and support they needed to be successful in school. He fought for the historic funding for our public schools that led to pay raises for teachers and school employees. Senator Lucio has also been a longtime advocate for expanding higher education opportunities in South Texas including playing a key role in the creation of UTRGV and the School of Medicine.
As chairman of the Senate International Relations and Trade Committee and later chair of the Senate Intergovernmental Relations Committee, Senator Lucio was a leader in addressing issues with colonias in South Texas. He authored and passed a proposed constitutional amendment in 2007 that voters approved authorizing the issuance of $250 million in bonds to help meet the water and wastewater infrastructure needs of economically distressed areas. In 2019, Senator Lucio again led the way to get the voters to approve another $200 million in bonds to support communities that otherwise could not afford to secure access to safe drinking water.
I congratulate Senator Lucio on his successful legislative career. We have worked together on many important projects for South Texas. We are known in the Capitol and in the Valley as the one-two punch. His passion will be missed in the Senate but his accomplishments and legislative successes will have a lasting impact in the lives of many Texans. I wish Senator Lucio a happy and healthy retirement and much success in his future endeavors.”
