Filipina American Texan will try a second time to win a congressional seat

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GINA ORTIZ JONES

After losing by only 926 votes in the 2018 elections to Rep. Will Hurd, Gina Ortiz Jones never really stopped campaigning so it was not a surprise when she announced last May 13 that she would try a second time to unseat the Republican incumbent.

Since she narrowly lost to Hurd in the 2018 elections last November, the 38-year old Filipina American challenger frequently appeared at political events in Texas and continued to criticize Hurd's votes in favor of Donald Trump's policies.

In a brief video posted to Twitter, Ortiz Jones asked supporters to "join us as we finished what we started."

"Last November, I came up a little bit short in my run for Congress — 926 votes — but I've never been one to back down because the promise of our country is worth fighting for," Jones said. “It’s why I served in the military, deployed to Iraq; it’s why I served in President Obama’s administration and it’s why I’ve dedicated my life to public service — and it’s why I’m stepping up again to run for Texas’ 23rd Congressional District.”

Ortiz, a former air force intelligence officer, served as director for investment at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative under President Obama.

Texas' 23rd district, which includes part of San Antonio and the longest stretch of U.S.-Mexico border of any congressional territory. Before Hurd came into office, the district had frequently flipped between GOP and Democratic control. The district is one of the six congressional districts the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has explicitly targeted in Texas for the next election cycle.

Hurd, who said he opposes Trump's immigration policies and his plan to build a wall on the border with Mexico, has tried to position himself as a moderate Republican. 

Hurd and Ortiz Jones are expected to continue to go toe-to-toe on national security and border issues during their second campaign match-up.

The 2020 Presidential election is expected to bring more Democrats to the polls and Ortiz Jones expects the additional voters to help in her bid to become the first Filipina American elected to Congress.

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