After all the speculation about who--if anyone--would step up and challenge Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-Laredo) in the newly reconfigured Congressional District 28, voters in the district will have a choice between Cuellar and a self-styled 'true Democrat,' Frank Enriquez, a McAllen attorney.
Last night, I had the chance to interview Frank Enriquez (D-McAllen) and talk to him a bit about his candidacy and why he is running. Here is some of that interview.
On Why He Is Running
Enriquez says he felt 'compelled to run' because America needs to change its course as a nation:
I felt compelled to run this campaign because I think the message had to be brought out that Mr. Cuellar and his Republican friends have the nation on a course that needs to change. I don't think there is anyone happy with three dollar a gallon gas and high interest rates.
We can all remember not too long ago when Democrats were in charge and Democratic officials had interest rates much lower than the sky-high interest rates we had now, and that we had cheaper gas prices, too.
I never thought I'd say this, but Mr. Cuellar and his Republican friends are a 'spend-spend' party. We have all of these problems plus the war in Iraq.
Our nation wants a new course. We realize that when Democratic principals are in place, there are less budget deficits, lower interest rates, and you get lower gass prices.
Enriquez also bills himself as a 'true Democrat,' and says he believes in the principals of the Democratic Party while his opponent, Cuellar, sides with the Republicans:
I am running as a Democrat because I believe in Democratic Party principals and my opponent, with his Republican friends, votes with the Republicans so many times you can't tell the difference. I believe the people of this district need to know that they have the choice of a true Democrat. [Cuellar] is a Democrat that votes with the Republicans and is a Republican by another name. They need to have a clear choice.
I while back, I believe he [Cuellar] came out in the paper and said he had no loyalty to the Democratic Party or any other party. There is something to be said about party loyalty, for people to know where you stand and what to expect.
On The War In Iraq
Enriquez has a brother in the service now, another brother who was in the first Gulf War, his father served in Korea, and he served in South East Asia. He feels strongly that we need "clear cut objectives and goals" with regard to the war:
I though the President has already said, 'the war is over.' But, our boys are still there. We need some serious and clear cut objectives and goals that we need to meet to bring out boys home.
Border Issues
CD-28, which covers much of the Texas-Mexico border, is a district in which border security issues will be a major touchstone this fall. Enriquez favors a path to citizenship, is against a physical barrier, and wants practical solutions:
You have a situation [on border security] where governors--Republican governors [Perry and California's Arnold Schwartznneger]--write a letter to the Republicans in charge and tell them it is time to do something practical. That says a lot.
We do have to do something practical.
When you have a situation where one Republican has to write to other Republicans and say 'do something practical,' something sure is wrong in Congress. All of those things want to be straightend out.
We need a plan so that employers will know the border patrol or Homeland Security isn't going to come in and take all of their workforce that might result in the closure of their business. People who are willing to work and willing to pay taxes and abide by our laws are the kind of people we would want as citizens, I think.
We need practical policies, not cities setting their own immigration policies. That results in protests in the streets.
I see no problem with some course that will allow them some legal status when they get through it.
Also, we do need better border security. We need more manpower on the bridges to make sure the U.S. is secure byt by the same token that commerce keeps going quickly.
Local Issues
Additionally, Enriquez is concerned about problems that face the region on a non-national scale, and points to points to hurricane preparedness as an especially important initiative:
This is the one year anniversiary of Hurricane Katrina, and we've got another hurricane coming toward Florida, but this is a hurricane prone area also.
If we get the right kind of hurricane down in the Rio Grande Valley, the leeves we have will not hold. They will break. If they break, the McAllen airport will be under six feet of water. We need federal money to do this.
Enriquez points out that U.S. Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin), who represents some of the region now but was put back into a more Central Texas district by the federal courts, has made significant inroads toward getting financial assistance for the Valley for disaster preparedness.
Enriquez says he wants to continue that work and finish the job.
He also noted that the Valley is still an agriculture-rich area, and that it is presently in a severe drought.
These counties shoud be decleared disaster areas where federal assistance can be given. This is one of the worst droughts in history.
Asked to sum up his candidacy in a few words, Enriquez replied:
The candidacy of Frank Enriquez is that of a true Democrat.
Enriquez emphasized that he'll be working all of the district and that he has a network of contacts throughout the district from Laredo to San Antonio. His parents and grandparents are from Laredo, and he attended high school and law school and maintains an office of his law practice in San Antonio. One member of Lloyd Doggett's Valley staff has already joined his campaign and he says he's got a campaign staff up and running and will have a website up soon.