José R. Rodríguez (born March 1, 1948) is an American attorney and politician. He served as a Democratic member of the Texas State Senate, representing District 29 in El Paso, Texas from 2011 to 2021
José Rodríguez | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minority Leader of the Texas Senate | |
| In office October 12, 2015 – January 8, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Kirk Watson |
| Succeeded by | Carol Alvarado |
| Member of the Texas Senate from the 29th district | |
| In office January 11, 2011 – January 12, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Eliot Shapleigh |
| Succeeded by | Cesar Blanco |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 1, 1948 Alice, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | University of Texas, Pan American (BA) George Washington University (JD) |
Early life and education
editRodríguez was born to migrant laborer parents in Alice in Jim Wells County, Texas. From a young age, he worked alongside them in the fields to help support a family of nine.[1]
Rodríguez graduated from the University of Texas - Pan American, then known as Pan American University, in Edinburg in South Texas. As an undergraduate in 1971, he served as student body president. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C. in 1974.[2]
Legal career
editRodríguez began his legal career by working for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development under the Ford and Carter administrations. He previously worked as staff attorney for Texas Rural Legal Aid, Inc., a statewide legal services program. For 17 years prior to his election to the Texas State Senate, Rodríguez served as the El Paso County Attorney.
Rodríguez's legal work has concentrated on education and community health, as well as funding for jobs and economic development.
Political career
editIn 2010, Rodríguez won the Democratic primary election with 69 percent of ballots cast. He won 60 percent of the vote in the general election for the seat vacated by the retiring Senator Eliot Shapleigh. In the next election in 2012, Rodríguez won 100 percent of the primary vote and in the general election held on November 2, he defeated Republican candidate Dan Chavez with 50,460 (60.2 percent) of the vote to Chavez's 33,303 (39.8 percent).[3][4]
Rodríguez is an active legislator; in his freshman term, he proposed over 40 bills relating to education, health care, economic development, renewable energy, public safety and the courts, ethics and government transparency, and the military. For this effort, the online publication Capitol Inside awarded him the title of "Freshman MVP."[citation needed] Other awards include "Legislative Hero" by Texas Access to Justice Foundation; "Best of Senate" by the Combined Law Enforcement Association of Texas; and "Advocate of the Year, Elected Official" by Texas Association for Education of Young Children. In his second term, Rodríguez proposed 50 bills and two concurrent resolutions.[citation needed]
Rodriguez serves on several Senate committees: Agriculture (Vice-Chair), Natural Resources & Economic Development, Transportation, and Water & Rural Affairs. He announced his intention to retire and not seek reelection in 2020.[5]
References
edit- ^ [1] Archived 2017-08-25 at the Wayback Machine, http://senatorjoserodriguez.com/about/biography/ .
- ^ "Judge Jose R. Rodriguez - Professional Background & Legal Expertise | Trellis.Law". trellis.law. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- ^ "General election returns, November 2, 2010". elections.sos.state.tx.us. Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
- ^ "State Sen. José R. Rodríguez District 29 (D-El Paso)" - http://www.texastribune.org/directory/jose-rodriguez/#statistics_tab
- ^ "Sen. José Rodríguez, an El Paso Democrat, will announce that he's retiring". Texas Tribune. 13 September 2019. Retrieved September 13, 2019.