Eddie Morales to run for State Representative

As we all know, Poncho Nevarez has decided not to seek reelection and instead plans to dedicate his time to his family and his law practice. I want to thank him for his years of service in Austin and wish him and his family well in his future endeavors.

When Poncho called me with the news this past Friday, I was as surprised as anyone. And while the news was unexpected, something he and I have always discussed is my interest in serving our community at the state level and improving the quality of life for our region. I find myself now in a position to take that baton. And that is why today, after careful reflection, thought, prayer, and consultation from loved ones, friends and more importantly my parents, I am officially announcing that I will be seeking the State Representative position for District 74.

As many of you know, I am a lifelong product of Eagle Pass. I was born in Piedras Negras and with the exception of the years I was out to college, I have lived in Eagle Pass all my life. I grew up in Las Quintas. A humble colonia with strong working and resilient neighbors and friends from whom I learned many lessons. I went to Memorial Junior High and graduated from Eagle Pass High School in 1993.

I attended the University of Texas in Austin and after graduating from there moved to San Antonio to attend St. Mary’s University Law School. I took the bar exam while attending my last semester of classes and was licensed to practice law before receiving my school diploma. By the way, I did all this, during these years while I started a family that included my two beautiful daughters Kassandra and Alex.

I came back Eagle Pass after law school and worked in what is now Langley & Banack, Inc. based out of San Antonio and with satellite offices throughout central and south Texas. We are proud at Langley & Banack to now have over 70 attorneys that are at the service of this community. I serve on the management board at L&B and serve as the managing partner of the Eagle Pass office.

It is my sincere belief that the person serving this community should focus on:

Creating an atmosphere to support economic development that will ultimately create high skilled and high paying jobs;

Working with our cities, counties and private sector to attract new industry and manufacturing jobs to the region that will provide our residents competitive wages.

A major part of strengthening our labor workforce including fighting for the establishment of a 4-year University and seeking greater resources for the expansion of technical and trade school opportunities for our citizens.

The time to invest in our citizens is now. We need to do all that we can to provide our citizens the tools to be successful so that they may seek the American dream. Our citizens deserve the opportunity to be trained and educated right here in our community. As your State Representative, I pledge that I will be your champion and leader for education and job training.

As your State Representative, I will take fiscal conservative approach with taxpayer funds and ensure that tax dollars are invested wisely, strategically and in a way that will leverage the highest impact to our community.

In addition, I pledge to work with local, state, and federal agencies to ensure that our borders and the community remain protected and safe and that our brave men and women in law enforcement have the most advanced equipment, better salaries, and expanded training opportunities that will better prepare them to take on aggressors that threaten the safety of our communities.

As your State Representative, I will fight for higher wages for educators and increased funding for special needs programs and learning disabilities;

The agriculture industry has always been one of our State’s greatest Gross Domestic Products and as your State Representative I will fight for our ranchers and farmers. They must have greater access to working capital, and decreased government regulation that threatens their earning potential.

Support for our small business owners is critical. Nearly 90% of all businesses in this community and the entire region are locally owned businesses. As a business owner I know first-hand the daily challenges that small businesses face. It’s small businesses that provide most of the jobs in any community. It’s the small businesses that contribute to local charities, youth organizations, and other nonprofits and meaningful causes. As your State Representative I will fight for all small business owners. I will have your back and I commit myself to the continued growth of small businesses which are the backbone of the Texas economy;

The border region is the largest contributor to the state’s economy. I will fight for increased funding and resources to expand our ports of entry so that they have the ability to support international trade and commerce

District 74 is made up of 12 counties from here all the way to west Texas right outside of El Paso. We have big towns like Eagle Pass and Del Rio but also rural areas like Pecos, Presidio, and Brewster. The district is the largest one in Texas and bigger than some US states. I will be campaigning as hard as I do here in those areas as well sharing our vision and platform.

In addition to practicing law for over 19 years, I am a businessman and owner of a tortilla factory which has now been in existence over 33 years; I am also a real estate investor, a residential and commercial builder, owner of commercial properties in downtown Eagle Pass and industrial warehouses which employ many local residents. I am invested in this community and the blessings this community has returned to me have allowed me the financial stability and funding to run in a district this big. I believe that background and those attributes is what sets me apart from any candidate for this office.

My parents taught me the value of hard work, saving money, extending a helping hand, and treating everyone with respect. I understand having and staying on budget and stretching a dollar in your business. I know what it means to pay taxes on time, meet weekly payroll and understand that decisions that I take in business have a trickling effect for others.

My upbringing my work and my experience for the past 44 years have prepared me for this next stage in life and I believe it is time to continue to give back to the community at this new level. With my two daughters having recently graduated from Texas State and my son currently attending UT-Austin, I am in a perfect stage in life to assume this new role. I plan on representing ALL of District 74 constituents. While we may not always agree on issues, I promise to listen and take the views of the community as a whole. I am NOT a career politician; I do NOT have a personal agenda or owe anyone any special favors or interests; My plan is to bring unity and common ground;

This District deserves someone to represent them with transparency, integrity, and fiscal responsibility. But none of this is possible without your help, support, and vote. If you share in this vision, I ask that you vote for me for State Representative in March. Let us move forward together.

I want to thank you all for showing up today and joining my family and me in this momentous occasion. Hellen and I will see you out there in the campaign trail. Thank You!