José R. Rodríguez (born March 1, 1948) is an American attorney and politician. He served as a
Democratic member of the
Texas State Senate
The Texas Senate ( es, Senado de Texas) is the upper house of the Texas State Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing single-member districts across the U.S. state of Texas, with populations of approximately 806,000 per con ...
, representing
District 29
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
in
El Paso, Texas
El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the county seat, seat of El Paso County, Texas, El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau w ...
from 2011 to 2021
Early life and education
Rodríguez 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.
, http://senatorjoserodriguez.com/about/biography/ .
Rodríguez graduated from the
University of Texas - Pan American
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...
, 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.
)
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, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
in 1974.
Legal career
Rodríguez began his legal career by working for the
United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It administers federal housing and urban development laws. It is headed by the Secretary of Housing and Ur ...
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
In 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
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
candidate Dan Chavez with 50,460 (60.2 percent) of the vote to Chavez's 33,303 (39.8 percent).
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." 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.
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.
References
External links
*
State legislative pageBiography at Texas TribuneBiography at Texas Directory*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodriguez, Jose R.
1948 births
21st-century American politicians
George Washington University Law School alumni
Hispanic and Latino American state legislators in Texas
Living people
People from Alice, Texas
Politicians from El Paso, Texas
Texas lawyers
Democratic Party Texas state senators
University of Texas–Pan American alumni