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Rosalinda Ramos Abuabara
Rosalinda Ramos Abuabara (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Texas' 23rd Congressional District. She lost in the Democratic primary on March 3, 2020.
Abuabara completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Rosalinda Ramos Abuabara was born in San Antonio, Texas. She earned a B.A. speech communications in August 1995 after studying at Our Lady of the Lake University, San Antonio College, and St. Mary's University. Abuabara became a small business owner and started working as a practice administrator in her husband's surgical practice in 2004. She previously worked as the head of marketing and community relations for Nurses Who Care from 1991 to 1993 and as an interpreter for the deaf at Sam Houston High School and at San Antonio College from 1989 to 1991. Abuabara is affiliated with the Texas Organizing Project (T.O.P), Indivisible Texas 23, MOVE Texas, Move On, the ACLU, the Interfaith Welcome Coalition, the Pro-Immigrant Coalition, and Moms Demand Action.[1]
Elections
2020
See also: Texas' 23rd Congressional District election, 2020
Texas' 23rd Congressional District election, 2020 (March 3 Republican primary)
Texas' 23rd Congressional District election, 2020 (March 3 Democratic primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House Texas District 23
Tony Gonzales defeated Gina Ortiz Jones and Beto Villela in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 23 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Tony Gonzales (R)  | 50.6 | 149,395 |
 | Gina Ortiz Jones (D) | 46.6 | 137,693 | |
 | Beto Villela (L) | 2.8 | 8,369 | |
| Total votes: 295,457 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Steven Sanders (Independent)
Republican primary runoff election
Republican primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 23
Tony Gonzales defeated Raul Reyes Jr. in the Republican primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 23 on July 14, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tony Gonzales | 50.1 | 12,342 |
 | Raul Reyes Jr. | 49.9 | 12,297 | |
| Total votes: 24,639 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 23
Gina Ortiz Jones defeated Efrain Valdez, Rosalinda Ramos Abuabara, Ricardo Madrid, and Jaime Escuder in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 23 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Gina Ortiz Jones | 66.2 | 41,718 |
| Efrain Valdez | 11.4 | 7,163 | ||
 | Rosalinda Ramos Abuabara | 10.9 | 6,896 | |
| Ricardo Madrid | 7.2 | 4,518 | ||
 | Jaime Escuder | 4.3 | 2,725 | |
| Total votes: 63,020 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Liz Wahl (D)
- Brandyn Waterman (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 23
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 23 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tony Gonzales | 28.1 | 11,522 |
| ✔ | | Raul Reyes Jr. | 23.3 | 9,555 |
 | Alma Arredondo-Lynch | 13.2 | 5,391 | |
 | Ben Van Winkle | 10.8 | 4,427 | |
 | Jeff McFarlin | 10.3 | 4,241 | |
 | Sharon Thomas | 6.1 | 2,511 | |
 | Cecil B. Jones | 3.8 | 1,552 | |
 | Alia Garcia-Ureste | 2.5 | 1,039 | |
 | Darwin Boedeker | 1.8 | 745 | |
| Total votes: 40,983 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Adam Hansen (R)
Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 23
Beto Villela defeated Tim Martinez in the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 23 on March 21, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| Tim Martinez (L) | ||
| ✔ | | Beto Villela (L) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Rosalinda Ramos Abuabara completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Abuabara's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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- Quality healthcare must be affordable and accessible to all, with public option.
- The state must actively protect its workers' rights to unionize and advocate for better labor conditions.
- Immigration policy needs comprehensive reform to protect refugees, create viable paths to citizenship, and to facilitate the integration of immigrants into U.S. society.
I believe that Americans are entitled to more rights and services than their government affords them. It is wrong to reward the hardworking with poverty. It is inhumane to drive patients into debt or bankruptcy over hospital bills. It is cowardly to suppress unions who bravely advocate for the rights of workers. We must guarantee workers a living wage, defend organized labor movements, and make concrete steps towards providing affordable public healthcare options for all. The wealth disparity in the U.S. is indefensible; it is imperative that we fix it.
In other ways, I also look up to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who infiltrated the American political sphere and helped launch a new wave of progressive politics. I believe both her online presence and her relationship with the people of her district speak volumes about her commitment to her constituents and their interests. Before she was elected to congress, Ocasio-Cortez was a waitress and bartender with great ambitions. However, with perseverance and a sincere message, she managed to defeat a ten-term republican incumbent to become the youngest woman to ever serve in U.S. Congress.
However, for a politician to be truly dedicated to the fundamental principles of our nation, there are other traits they must exhibit as well.
Americans need their elected officials to be honest. Unless the U.S. government operates with transparency, no one can be certain that politicians are really representing the interests of the American people. Since no candidate for U.S. office would ever dare to openly disparage democracy, every elected official needs to be candid about their real political activities. Thus, Americans can decide for themselves whether or not that official is truly advocating for their interests.
Some kids, however, were not so lucky. Many kids didn't have loving parents to teach them the value of education. Many kids didn't have families to teach them the value of caring for others. Many kids were raised with incomes too low to offer them any sort of social mobility.
The legacy I hope to leave in the United States is the same sort of legacy my parents left in my life. I want the United States to become the land of opportunity it claims to be. I want to take care of underprivileged and marginalized Americans because in many way they are my family.
The United States can and should be a place for freedom and hope. No American should find themselves without healthcare coverage during a medical crisis. No American should fill their days with hard work and barely earn enough money to survive. No American should be too afraid of hatred and bigotry to speak up for what they believe in.
The House is large because the United States is large. Diverse perspectives are inevitable in a nation of 300 million people, so our legislature must be equipped to truthfully reflect all of the people it represents. Because congressional representatives serve relatively short terms, the American people are more frequently afforded the opportunity to decide who should speak on their behalf. The House of Representatives allows Americans more chances to make political decisions.
Fortunately, the solution is obvious.
The United States is plagued with socioeconomic inequality. Its broken healthcare system has Americans dying of poverty, and its workers cannot advocate for better conditions. Outspokenly racist, sexist, and homophobic rhetoric has become frighteningly common as it suffers a humanitarian crisis at its southern border.
The actions of conservative politicians, recent and past, have consistently exacerbated these problems. They have refused to approve a living minimum wage. They have rejected plans for affordable public healthcare options. They have chosen to ignore human rights violations against refugees and unconstitutional immigration policies. They have violated the principles of our democracy in their shameless attempts to suppress votes.
The obstacles the United States faces are easily overcome, but conservative leaders elect either to ignore them or make them worse. Such behavior is unacceptable. This decade, we must make a change. Now is the time for healing and stable progress. Now is the time for reform.
In dealing with this emerging crisis of freedom, our country's greatest challenge will be remaining brave in the face of uncertainty. It is time to boldly stand for the rights of our workers. It is time to decisively demand accessible healthcare options. It is time to abolish the cowardly, inhumane practices of our immigration system. It is time to wipe out intolerance and inequality from our society.
I have been both outraged and inspired by many of the stories I've heard from the people of my district, but one story in particular has lingered in my mind since I first heard it. I once had a woman explain to me how she could afford nothing but gas, car insurance, and groceries. She worked hard, but had no choice but to live in her car and earn just enough to survive. This woman could not afford to get sick. She was not covered by private insurance. She could not afford Obamacare. Her day-to-day survival was her top priority because she did not have the means to prepare for emergencies. Her poverty actually threatened her health.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on January 9, 2020
