Julio Garza (Texas congressional candidate District 15)

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Julio Garza

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

March 1, 2022

Personal

Birthplace

Edinburg, Texas

Religion

Catholic

Profession

Small business owner

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Campaign TikTok

Personal Facebook

Julio Garza (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Texas' 15th Congressional District. He lost in the Democratic primary on March 1, 2022.

Garza completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Julio Garza was born in Edinburg, Texas. He attended the University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley. Garza's career experience includes working as a small business owner and as an intern for the Texas Legislature. He's been associated with the Hidalgo County Democratic Party.

2022 battleground election

See also: Texas' 15th Congressional District election, 2022 (March 1 Democratic primary)

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%. 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. 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.

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). 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.

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. 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.

Rigney worked as an attorney and founded a construction company, Rigney Construction & Development. His top campaign issues included public safety, education, veterans' education and healthcare, raising the minimum wage, and providing residency and citizenship opportunities for immigrants. 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."

Vallejo was a business owner and co-founder of two advocacy groups, New Leaders Council STX Frontera chapter and Hustle + Socialize. Her platform includes supporting Medicare for All, a $15 minimum wage, and an anti-war foreign policy. “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. 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.

Click here for coverage of the May 24, 2022, Democratic primary runoff.

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

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

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 151,889
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	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.
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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

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	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.
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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
	Submit photo	Steve Schmuker Jr.	3.6	1,064
	Submit photo	John Lerma	2.2	658
	Submit photo	Jose Aizar Cavazos	1.7	504
	Submit photo	Angela Juarez	1.4	416
		Vangela Churchill	1.0	298

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	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)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= 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. 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. 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." ** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election. *** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

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.

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
Eliza Alvarado Julio Garza Ruben Ramirez Vanessa Tijerina Michelle Vallejo John Villarreal Rigney	OpenSecrets- Texas' 15th Congressional District election, 2022 Federal Election Commission - Texas' 15th Congressional District election, 2022

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.

• Ruben Ramirez
• Michelle Vallejo

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Julio Garza completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Garza's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a small business owner, Hidalgo County Democratic Party Secretary, precinct chair, and part-time rancher. I have been involved with the local party since 2008 and have experience volunteering for several campaigns and non profits.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Making history as the first member of the LGBTQ community to run for Congress in my district, I fight for all the underrepresented communities in South Texas.
• Since Reagan, the Republican party has always been the front of the millionaire and billionaire class in Washington, DC. They have privatized social programs that hurt the middle and lower classes but have made extreme profits for the upper class. If elected, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I would like to have roasted billionaire. Because organized money is just as bad as organized crime. Tax the Rich.
• Our country is on the brink of a totalitarian takeover; a slow-moving coup is in process. What happened on January 6th is not something the American people should take likely. If a coup fails, it is called practice. Congress needs serious leadership that will not cater to the extreme right but punish them for their attack on this nation. Democrats need to grow a backbone, and I am that Democrat with a backbone.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about Women's Reproductive Rights, Immigration, amnesty for the Undocumented Community, LGBTQ+ Rights, Labor Union Rights, and the legalization of recreational and medicinal marijuana use.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

President Obama. I would follow the examples of FDR, JFK, and President Obama. FDR for his cleverness, JFK for using his privilege to give back, and President Obama for always keeping his cool.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The Republic, Understanding Marxism by Richard Wolff, The Brainwashing of My Dad by Jen Senko, Rationality by Steven Pinker, and Meditations by Marcus.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Someone honest and fighting for the people. Someone selfless and there to do the People's work.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I care about the people I serve. I have always been a public servant and want to continue in that regard.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To better the lives of those they serve. No games, no politics, just results.

What legacy would you like to leave?

The greatest legacy would be that my constituents have gotten a better life though the work I have done.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

9/11 I was in 8th grade

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I was a lifeguard for the City of Edinburg. I was there from 16 - 24.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

an X-Men ... Storm.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Two Princes.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Having Republicans as parents ... and growing to be a Democrat without their support. They later became Trumpsters and anti-vaxxers.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

It does not have a filibuster ... and it is majority rule.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes, I do believe that it is beneficial for Representatives to have previous experience in government and/or politics.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Unification of the nation and climate change.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

The Judiciary Committee and Health & Human Services.

If you are a current representative, why did you join your current committees?

I am not.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

No, it should be four, but I was not there when the Constitution was written.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I did not think they would work. Politicians may come and go but interests will always remain.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

AOC

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

Yes, the story of the undocumented. How they live in fear everyday, how we as a nation has done nothing to fix it. This story hits close to home because I am from the borderlands. We should be acting as humans and give these people documentation to make their lives better.

Tell us your favorite joke.

I do not like jokes.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Yes, compromise is necessary for policymaking.

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

It would play a very important role, because I would love to tax the rich and to change that a bill would have to come from the House.

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

Garza’s campaign website stated the following:

“	THE PLATFORM IMMIGRATION No human being is illegal. The only crisis at the border is a humanitarian one. We have left the Dreamers hanging in limbo for far too long. We have invested in these children, paid for their college, and have made them pay into a system that does not benefit them. It simply is not fair; moreover, we have pushed an entire community into the shadows. This community has contributed to our culture, society, and economy and has made it better. We have used them as scapegoats whenever there is an economic crisis in this nation, but as I stated before: the only crisis here is a humanitarian one. These individuals have fled war-torn countries, traveled hundreds of miles across continents and nations to reach the land of the free; in the hope of having a better life. Not just for themselves but for their children. We as a nation must not forget what is carved into Lady Liberty, “give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free … send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” It is about time this nation lived up to its creed and lifts this community out of the shadows by granting them freedom. I will fight for this community. I will fight for a direct pathway to citizenship. I will fight for amnesty to all those that wish to enjoy the fruits of liberty and freedom; someone has to. WOMENS REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS Women have been fighting in this country for far too long to do what they want with their bodies. They have taken the fight to the Supreme Court and won Roe v. Wade (1973) and then won again in Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992). The Supreme Court of the United States has already ruled, in both Roeand Casey, that abortion is a woman’s constitutional right. However, Republicans and the Texas Legislature have decided that this is not the case and have passed a draconian anti-abortion law, Senate Bill 8, during a special session this year. By sending me to D.C. I will fight for a woman’s constitutional right to reproductive health and not back down. S.B. 8 is a horrible intrusion of the government into women’s bodies, and I am not willing to wait around for this conservative Supreme Court to overturn their right. Today is the fight for women’s reproductive rights; tomorrow, Republicans will set the stage for a battle over same-sex marriage, the day after … who knows? The buck has to stop somewhere, and it has to stop here. CLIMATE CHANGE The scientific community has given the world 10 – 15 years to get a handle on climate change or deal with catastrophic consequences. I would push for a Green New Deal tailored to Texas. This includes fighting for funding for a new smart power grid better than Germany’s and investing in solar panels for federal, state, and local government buildings. I would also push for a high-speed railway for Texas connecting the Rio Grande Valley to San Antonio, Houston, Austin, El Paso, and other Texas cities. Finally, canceling all government subsidies to big oil, a carbon tax, and free training in renewable jobs is a must if we want to slow and reverse the effects of climate change. We have to leave this world a better place for our children because we are only borrowing it from them. DARK MONEY I want to be a Representative of the people, which is why I have decided not to take money from corporations. I want to be funded by grassroots and small-dollar donors. I feel Citizen’s United has damaged our political system and continues to damage it. I will lead by example and, once in Congress, fight to take dark money out of American politics. LGBTQ+ As a proud Bisexual man, I promise to fight on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community. I will fight to protect the LGBTQ+ community from discrimination in the workplace. I will also fight to protect Trans kids from bullies like Greg Abbot and every other republican out there trying to discriminate against their right to gender-affirming treatments and school extracurriculars. STUDENT DEBT It amazes me that the United States is one of the only first-world countries that allows its youth to be crushed by crippling debt. If elected, one of my top priorities would be eliminating student debt and paving the way for tuition-free college. COMMON SENSE Universal Healthcare The United States is the only advanced nation in the world without a national healthcare system. I will fight for Medicare for all. SCOTUS After Senate Republicans blocked President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee in 2016, I feel they rigged the Judiciary. I feel Congressional Democrats have not done enough and should have packed the Court on day one in order to even the playing field. Republicans literally stole a majority on SCOTUS and the only way to counter this injustice is to add more Justices. Unions Labor knows that unions work. They work to better wages, safer workplace environments, and put a check on capital. Unions gave us the 8-hour work schedule, the five-day workweek, and outlawed child labor. I want to be that pro-labor candidate, and if elected, I will propose legislation that requires all multibillion-dollar corporations to have unions. Wal-Mart, Amazon, Facebook, and Disney should all have unions fighting for the employee. Living wage In all honesty, experts say the minimum should be $35 an hour. However, realistically, even $15 is an uphill battle. During the Great resignation, we have learned that you also have the power to make a change. Getting the minimum wage up will be a collective battle, as with everything else. So while you fight here, I will fight in Congress on your behalf for a $15 minimum to start. Monopolies For decades now, multi-billion-dollar corporations have been rigging the system by absorbing smaller companies and creating unbeatable monopolies. This not only hurts business but stacks the deck against the everyday working class, making it impossible to get anywhere in American society. We not only have to enforce the Sherman Anti-Trust laws already in the books and propose legislation that will break up these monopolies and make sure they never reconsolidate again. Marijuana Anti-Marijuana legislation has deep historical ties to racial prejudice against all people of color. It is about time we end this outdated ban on marijuana, regulate, and tax it. Black Lives Matter There is no if's, ands, or buts, Black Lives Matter. Systemic racism has plagued this country for centuries and police brutality has taken the lives of too many citizens. It's time we acted on our words and proposed meaningful legislation to end this war on people of color by reforming law enforcement in this country.	”
—Julio Garza's campaign website (2022)

Campaign advertisements

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• Facebook

See also

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Candidate

U.S. House Texas District 15

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Footnotes

[show]

Texas' current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

John Cornyn (R)

Ted Cruz (R)

Representatives

District 1

Nathaniel Moran (R)

District 2

Daniel Crenshaw (R)

District 3

Keith Self (R)

District 4

Pat Fallon (R)

District 5

Lance Gooden (R)

District 6

Jake Ellzey (R)

District 7

Lizzie Fletcher (D)

District 8

Morgan Luttrell (R)

District 9

Al Green (D)

District 10

Michael McCaul (R)

District 11

August Pfluger (R)

District 12

Craig Goldman (R)

District 13

Ronny Jackson (R)

District 14

Randy Weber (R)

District 15

Monica De La Cruz (R)

District 16

Veronica Escobar (D)

District 17

Pete Sessions (R)

District 18

Vacant

District 19

Jodey Arrington (R)

District 20

Joaquin Castro (D)

District 21

Chip Roy (R)

District 22

Troy Nehls (R)

District 23

Tony Gonzales (R)

District 24

Beth Van Duyne (R)

District 25

Roger Williams (R)

District 26

Brandon Gill (R)

District 27

Michael Cloud (R)

District 28

Henry Cuellar (D)

District 29

Sylvia Garcia (D)

District 30

Jasmine Crockett (D)

District 31

John Carter (R)

District 32

Julie Johnson (D)

District 33

Marc Veasey (D)

District 34

Vicente Gonzalez (D)

District 35

Greg Casar (D)

District 36

Brian Babin (R)

District 37

Lloyd Doggett (D)

District 38

Wesley Hunt (R)

Republican Party (27)

Democratic Party (12)

Vacancies (1)