Casar in Dem primary; no one in GOP’s

Four candidates are running in the Democratic primary for Congressional District 35, which will stretch from Austin to San Antonio. The seat is open as U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, who has represented San Antonio well, is running in the new 37th Congressional District, which focuses on Austin.

In the Democratic primary for Congressional District 35, we recommend Greg Casar. We were impressed with his bold, progressive ideas and see someone who has the potential to be a powerful voice in Congress.

Not only does Casar understand the needs of the district, he’s already working on them. The son of Mexican immigrants, Casar was 25 when he was the youngest person ever elected to the Austin City Council in 2014. He has worked as a grassroots community and labor organizer, and has sought to make a difference for people who are historically disenfranchised by authoring the paid sick leave ordinance passed in Austin and replicated in other cities. These ordinances ultimately failed in the courts, but they reflect his values about the well-being of workers and families. He also pressed for raising wages from $7.25 an hour to $15, with health care benefits for the city of Austin’s lowest-paid workers.

Casar is running against state Rep. Eddie Rodriguez, who was first elected to the Legislature in 2002. We have no doubt this experience would serve Rodriguez well in Congress, but he did not offer the same bold ideas as Casar.

Also in the race is former San Antonio City Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran. She also has solid ideas, but Casar’s passion, policy understanding and eloquence set him apart.

This congressional seat is overwhelmingly Democratic, and, unfortunately, that is reflected in the slate of 10 Republican candidates seeking this office. We extended meeting invites to eight. Four agreed to meet, but we can offer no recommendation in the GOP primary.