Gallego Out While Cornyn Cruises to Victory
For the third time in as many elections, CD-23 is changing hands, this time going back to the GOP after challenger Will Hurd ousted incumbent Democrat Pete Gallego. Full Story
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Julián Aguilar
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Julián Aguilar reported for the Tribune from 2009 to 2021, most recently on politics and on the Texas-Mexico border. He focused on immigration reform and enforcement, voter ID, international trade, border security, and the drug trade. His political coverage has included local, legislative and congressional races in Texas, as well as local and national elections in Mexico. Before joining The Texas Tribune, he was a freelance writer for the Fort Worth Weekly, a government and crime reporter for the Laredo Morning Times, and a political writer for the Rio Grande Guardian. A native of El Paso, he has a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Texas and a master's degree in journalism from the Frank W. Mayborn Graduate Institute of Journalism at the University of North Texas.
Past Contributions
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![Former U.S. Rep. Pete Gallego (left) was ousted by Republican Will Hurd, right, in the 2014 CD-23 contest.]()
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Residents of a Forgotten Border Town Continue Fleeing to Texas
As officials in El Paso and Ciudad Juárez celebrate a drop in crime in the Mexican border city, residents in nearby Guadalupe, Chihuahua continue fleeing to Texas in droves amid continuing violence and corruption. Full Story
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![Construction workers are seen as two women walk along the road on an early October morning in Guadalupe Distrito Bravo.]()
Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre -
Settled Into GOP, Lozano Hopes to Hold District
In his second race after switching to the GOP, incumbent state Rep. J.M. Lozano thinks HD-43 voters are more comfortable with his party choice. But Democratic challenger Kim Gonzalez isn't going to let it go. Full Story
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![State Rep. Jose Manuel Lozano, R-Kingsville, (l) faces Democrat Kim Gonzalez in HD 43.]()
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Dewhurst Asks for Price Tag to Expand Border Operations
Months after Texas beefed up its border security presence in the Rio Grande Valley, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst wants to know what it would cost to expand the projects through 2016. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst delivering his concession speech after losing his re-election bid on May 27, 2014.]()
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Program Helping to Reduce Wait Times at Border Bridges
Nine months into a federal pilot program created to reduce wait times at international ports of entry, operators of bridges on the Texas-Mexico border say it appears to be accomplishing that goal. Full Story
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In El Paso, a Mirror of Catholicism's Challenges
Catholicism remains the religion of choice for most people in El Paso, but membership in the church has declined. How the church adapts to modern societal beliefs will be reflected by what happens to its membership there. Full Story
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![Parishoners attend a Friday service at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in El Paso.]()
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Ahead of CD-23 Election, Gallego and Hurd Tout Fundraising Totals
In the battle to represent Congressional District 23, U.S. Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine, and Republican Will Hurd have built substantial war chests for the homestretch in what many view as the state’s only toss-up race for Congress. Full Story
![Former U.S. Rep. Pete Gallego (left) was ousted by Republican Will Hurd, right, in the 2014 CD-23 contest.]()
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Tours Aim to Redefine Juárez, Revitalize Tourism
Hopes are riding on a new effort in which tour buses will come to Ciudad Juárez regularly from El Paso. Officials want the tours to help shed Juárez's image as a danger zone and showcase the city as a destination for area tourists. Full Story
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![Historian Antonio Ramos poses as a Maderista soldier at a marketplace in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, on Oct. 8, 2014.]()
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Obama Administration Breaks Own Deportation Record
The Obama administration deported a record-breaking 438,421 people in 2013, an increase of about 20,000 from 2012. That included about 198,400 immigrants with criminal records. Full Story
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![Border Patrol Agent Robert Dominguez.]()
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Judge Throws a Wrench in Border Coal Project
For several years, residents in Maverick County have waged a war against a company that wants to mine low-grade coal on 6,300 acres of land in this impoverished borderland. A recent twist in the saga is giving them new hope. Full Story
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![If Dos Republicas is able to mine substandard coal in Maverick County, it will be carried by train from the site in rural Maverick County through the center of Eagle Pass, Texas - Saturday, February 4, 2012]()
Credit: Jennifer Whitney
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