John Villarreal Rigney
John Villarreal Rigney (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Texas' 15th Congressional District. He lost in the Democratic primary on March 5, 2024.
Biography
John Villarreal Rigney was born in Pharr, Texas. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas, Pan American in 1996 and a law degree from the St. Mary's School of Law in 2014. His career experience includes working as an attorney and starting his own construction company.[1]
2022 battleground election
Ruben Ramirez and Michelle Vallejo were the top two finishers in the Democratic Party primary election for Texas' 15th Congressional District on March 1, 2022. Ramirez received 28.3% of the vote, followed by Vallejo with 20.1%.[2] Because no candidate won 50% of the vote, Ramirez and Vallejo advanced to a runoff election on May 24.
Media attention focused on Eliza Alvarado, Ramirez, John Villarreal Rigney, and Vallejo, and these candidates also led in fundraising.[3][4][5] Incumbent Vicente Gonzalez (D) ran to replace retiring District 34 incumbent Filemon Vela (D) after the Texas State Legislature redrew the 15th district to include more of western Hidalgo County during the 2020 redistricting cycle.[5]
At the time of the election, Alvarado was a director at South Texas educational service center Region One, and she previously worked for the U.S. Department of Labor and served as a congressional aide to U.S. Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (D).[6] She emphasized her experience in government, education, and healthcare and said partisanship was unimportant in representing the district. “I’m not there to represent Brooklyn or California, I’m there to represent District 15. And as such, I need to understand what District 15 needs regardless of whether they’re Republican or Democrat,” Alvarado said.[4]
Ramirez worked as an attorney and is an Army veteran and former teacher who previously ran for election in the 15th District in 2012 and 2016.[7] His top campaign priorities were healthcare, national security, and education. Ramirez said he would "continue to fight for my fellow veterans and district. Like all challenges I have faced, I will not back down and I promise to uphold our values and our Constitution” if elected.[8]
Rigney worked as an attorney and founded a construction company, Rigney Construction & Development.[9] His top campaign issues included public safety, education, veterans' education and healthcare, raising the minimum wage, and providing residency and citizenship opportunities for immigrants.[10] Rigney said his campaign was focused on "you, your family, and all the people that work every day to provide for their families. Whether that means trying to put food on the table, dealing with rising gas prices, trying to pay for unaffordable medical care, or making sure your kids have quality afterschool care, I want to make sure you get the best representation."[11]
Vallejo was a business owner and co-founder of two advocacy groups, New Leaders Council STX Frontera chapter and Hustle + Socialize.[12] Her platform includes supporting Medicare for All, a $15 minimum wage, and an anti-war foreign policy.[5] “I think traditionally these races are based on who has the most purchasing power when it comes to mailers, signs, and media, and I’m so grateful that for my campaign that’s not the only thing we’re focusing on, and I love that it started with the energy of having a ground game,” Vallejo said.
According to The Texas Tribune, Texas' 15th Congressional District became more favorable to Republicans as a result of redistricting. Joe Biden (D) won the district by two percentage points in the 2020 presidential election. Donald Trump (R) would have won the new district by three percentage points.[13] The Cook Political Report and other outlets rated the 15th district Solid Democratic in 2020 but rated it Lean Republican in 2022.
Julio Garza and Vanessa Tijerina also ran in the Democratic primary. If no candidate wins more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers will advance to a runoff on May 24.
Julio Garza (D), Michelle Vallejo (D), and John Villarreal Rigney (D) completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. To read those survey responses, click here.
Elections
2024
See also: Texas' 15th Congressional District election, 2024
Texas' 15th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 5 Republican primary)
Texas' 15th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 5 Democratic primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House Texas District 15
Incumbent Monica De La Cruz defeated Michelle Vallejo in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 15 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Monica De La Cruz (R) | 57.1 | 127,804 |
 | Michelle Vallejo (D) | 42.9 | 95,965 | |
| Total votes: 223,769 | |||
 = 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
- Arthur DiBianca (L)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 15
Michelle Vallejo defeated John Villarreal Rigney in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 15 on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Michelle Vallejo | 74.7 | 21,456 |
 | John Villarreal Rigney | 25.3 | 7,268 | |
| Total votes: 28,724 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 15
Incumbent Monica De La Cruz defeated Vangela Churchill in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 15 on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Monica De La Cruz | 88.2 | 30,972 |
 | Vangela Churchill | 11.8 | 4,140 | |
| Total votes: 35,112 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 15
Arthur DiBianca advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 15 on March 23, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Arthur DiBianca (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. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Villarreal Rigney in this election.
2022
See also: Texas' 15th Congressional District election, 2022
General election
General election for U.S. House Texas District 15
Monica De La Cruz defeated Michelle Vallejo and Ross Lynn Leone in the general election for U.S. House Texas District 15 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Monica De La Cruz (R) | 53.3 | 80,978 |
| Michelle Vallejo (D) | 44.8 | 68,097 | |
 | Ross Lynn Leone (L) | 1.9 | 2,814 | |
| Total votes: 151,889 | |||
| = 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 runoff election
Democratic primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 15
Michelle Vallejo defeated Ruben Ramirez in the Democratic primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 15 on May 24, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Michelle Vallejo | 50.1 | 6,079 |
 | Ruben Ramirez | 49.9 | 6,049 | |
| Total votes: 12,128 | |||
| = 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 15
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 15 on March 1, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ruben Ramirez | 28.3 | 9,221 |
| ✔ | | Michelle Vallejo | 20.1 | 6,570 |
| John Villarreal Rigney | 19.2 | 6,268 | |
 | Eliza Alvarado | 16.5 | 5,398 | |
 | Vanessa Tijerina | 10.6 | 3,470 | |
 | Julio Garza | 5.2 | 1,693 | |
| Total votes: 32,620 | |||
| = 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
- Roberto Haddad (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 15
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 15 on March 1, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Monica De La Cruz | 56.5 | 16,835 |
 | Mauro Garza | 15.3 | 4,544 | |
 | Sara Canady | 9.2 | 2,741 | |
 | Ryan Krause | 9.2 | 2,728 | |
| Steve Schmuker Jr. | 3.6 | 1,064 | ||
| John Lerma | 2.2 | 658 | ||
| Jose Aizar Cavazos | 1.7 | 504 | ||
| Angela Juarez | 1.4 | 416 | ||
| Vangela Churchill | 1.0 | 298 | |
| Total votes: 29,788 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 15
Ross Lynn Leone advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 15 on March 19, 2022.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Ross Lynn Leone (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 finance
This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election.[14] It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees.[15] Click here to view the reporting schedule for candidates for U.S. Congress in 2022.
| U.S. Congress campaign reporting schedule, 2022 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Report | Close of books | Filing deadline |
| Year-end 2021 | 12/31/2021 | 1/31/2022 |
| April quarterly | 3/31/2022 | 4/15/2022 |
| July quarterly | 6/30/2022 | 7/15/2022 |
| October quarterly | 9/30/2022 | 10/15/2022 |
| Pre-general | 10/19/2022 | 10/27/2022 |
| Post-general | 11/28/2022 | 12/08/2022 |
| Year-end 2022 | 12/31/2022 | 1/31/2023 |
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eliza Alvarado | Democratic Party | $79,035 | $72,805 | $6,230 | As of March 31, 2022 |
| Julio Garza | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Ruben Ramirez | Democratic Party | $493,222 | $493,222 | $0 | As of September 30, 2022 |
| Vanessa Tijerina | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Michelle Vallejo | Democratic Party | $2,346,631 | $2,334,914 | $11,717 | As of December 31, 2022 |
| John Villarreal Rigney | Democratic Party | $330,110 | $325,667 | $4,443 | As of December 31, 2022 |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2022. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
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Satellite spending
- See also: Satellite spending
Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[16][17][18]
If available, links to satellite spending reports by the Federal Election Commission and OpenSecrets.org are linked below. Any satellite spending reported in other resources is displayed in a table. This table may not represent the actual total amount spent by satellite groups in the election. Satellite spending for which specific amounts, dates, or purposes are not reported are marked "N/A." To help us complete this information, or to notify us of additional satellite spending, email us.
| By candidate | By election |
|---|---|
Endorsements
Click the links below to see endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites, if available. If you are aware of a website that should be included, please email us.
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
John Villarreal Rigney did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
John Villarreal Rigney completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Villarreal Rigney's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
| Collapse all
Growing up, my parents and my community in Pharr instilled in me determination and taught me the value of honest work and the importance of a good education. I come from a long line of hard workers. My mother immigrated here from Mexico to pursue the American dream, and my father, a World War II veteran, worked hard to start an auto mechanic business in Pharr and support our family.
At age eleven, my father passed away and I had to work hard to help my mom provide for our family. I mowed lawns, painted homes, and did any odd job I could find. After graduating high school, I attended UTPA where I received my Bachelor of Science in Engineering. I began a construction business and went from building homes to large commercial buildings throughout south Texas. While running my construction company, I went back to school at age 40 and pursued a law degree from St. Mary’s and have been a practicing attorney for seven years. I have learned what it takes to overcome obstacles and accomplish big goals.
I would be honored to serve our district in the United States Congress, and to have your support on this journey.- Economic Development and Opportunity
- Honoring and Supporting Our Nation's Veterans
- Safe Neighborhoods and Law Enforcement
I believe that reasonable and affordable healthcare for all is very very important. Over 60% of uninsured Texans are Hispanic, so unaffordable and inaccessible healthcare disproportionately affects our district, neighbors, our communities. We need to address this issue and protect the people so our families are not having to choose between buying lightbulbs vs. buying insulin for their children.
Listening is one of the most important qualities of a legislator, and keeping our constituents informed. Legislators should ensure that they are continuing to listen and connect with the families and workers of their districts once they assume office.
I support term limits. When some elected officials hold office too long, the position and their perspective can become stagnant. We should be support new voices to come in and assume the duties and responsibilities of a Representative. Having to go back and live in the community that you have helped crafted policy for is the ultimate test.
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.
Campaign website
Rigney's campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
John Villarreal Rigney's Families First Agenda
|
” |
| —John Villarreal Rigney's campaign website (2022)[20] | ||
Campaign advertisements
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View more ads here:
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 1, 2022
- ↑ New York Times, "Texas 15th Congressional District Primary Election Results," March 3, 2022
- ↑ The Texan, "Fundraising Frontrunners Emerge in Texas’ Open Congressional Races," February 1, 2022
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Valley Central, "In battleground District 15, candidates prepare for March primary," December 16, 2021
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Texas Observer, "The RGV is at a Political Crosswords,"February 7, 2022
- ↑ Alvarado for Congress, "About," accessed February 8, 2022
- ↑ Ruben Ramirez for Congress, "Home," accessed February 8, 2022
- ↑ The Monitor, "Bronze Star recipient Ruben Ramirez to make congressional bid," October 25, 2021
- ↑ [LinkedIn, "John Rigney," accessed February 8, 2021]
- ↑ Newswires, "Former Candidates Ivan Melendez and Roberto Haddad Endorse John Villarreal Rigney for Texas Congressional District 15," January 27, 2022
- ↑ Villareal Rigney for Congress, "Issues," accessed February 8, 2022
- ↑ Michelle Vallejo for Congress, "Meet Michelle," accessed February 8, 2022
- ↑ The Texas Tribune, "U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez will run for a different House seat in 2022 after redistricting made his more competitive," October 26, 2021
- ↑ Fundraising by primary candidates can be found on the race's respective primary election page. Fundraising by general election candidates can be found on the race's general election page.
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2022 Quarterly Reports," accessed March 2, 2022
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," December 12, 2021
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Villarreal Rigney for Congress, “Issues,” accessed February 10, 2022
