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]

Elections

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

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 223,769
= candidate completed 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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates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

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 28,724
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 35,112
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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)

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Villarreal Rigney in this 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.
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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 themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

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.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Hi, I am John Villarreal Rigney and I live in Edinburg with my wife, Melissa, and my two sons, Lloyd and Andrew. I am proud son of South Texas and I’m running for Congress because Texas deserves leaders who will roll up their sleeves, bring people together, and get to work.

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.

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?

Economic Development and Opportunity
Honoring and Supporting Our Nation's Veterans
Safe Neighborhoods and Law Enforcement

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

As the father of a special needs child, I know far too well the burden that our healthcare system places on some of the most vulnerable members of our community. There is a gap that has not been fulfilled and we need to address that.

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.

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

I know the value of hard work and the ability to relate to people. Like the families and workers of South Texas, I have learned the sheer will and determination necessary to succeed in the task at hand. Along the way I am proud to have learned the skills to communicate and negotiate that I believe are instrumental to a Congressperson doing their job.

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

I believe that the core responsibility for someone elected to Congress is to truly be a voice for their community. Those elected to Congress by a community should maintain that the interests of that community are truly represented by the votes that they make.

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.

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

At age eleven, my father passed away and I had to work hard to help my mom provide for our family, so my first jobs were mowing lawns and painting homes, and did any odd job I could find. But, I was lucky and through that was still able to graduate high school and attend college - an opportunity that everyone in our state should be able to have if they choose.

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

The Corrido of John Villarreal Rigney

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

I believe that terms should be longer that two years. In our current system of privately funded elections, when members of Congress serve only two years, they really spend only one year legislating before having campaign again. Having longer terms would allow legislators to actually legislate, and more time between elections allows lawmakers more time to do the work they were elected by their constituents to do.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

Term limits are necessary in our society today. When politicians sit in a seat for too long,
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

This Congressional campaign is for 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. You deserve someone fighting for you.

Join me, and together let's build a better future for Texas.

Protect and Honor Our Nation's Veterans

I am proud to be the son of a veteran. My father was a Technical Sergeant in World War II, and I heard firsthand about the service and sacrifices he made for our great country. Our nation must honor these brave men and women for their undeniable service. As your Congressman, I commit to lead the fight in Washington to upgrade the GI Bill so that every veteran returning home has access to higher education. I will work to increase funding for veteran health services, including mental health services and resources to care for our injured and disabled heroes. Lastly, our veterans deserve an opportunity at the American dream, which is why as your Congressman, I will push for legislation to revitalize the VA Home Loan Program here in Texas and nationwide.

Economic Opportunity

Many working families across our great state are facing difficult times. Working families should not have to decide between getting needed medication, paying their mortgage, paying the utility bills, or putting food on their table to feed their children. It has been over 12 years since our federal minimum wage increased; an overdue increase is necessary. As your Congressman, I will support an increase in the federal minimum wage so the workers of South Texas can have a dignified, livable, family-sustaining wage.

As a small business owner myself, I understand the tremendous issues small business owners face, especially in these trying times. I will always consider and fight for the help needed for our small businesses to succeed. I will also fight to reform and simplify the business tax code, open foreign trade channels with our neighbors to the south. I will advocate for policies that encourage economic growth here in South Texas.

Healthcare

As a father of a special needs child, I understand the great need for access to affordable and comprehensive health care which covers pre-existing conditions and puts a price cap on crucial life-sustaining medications like insulin. In a country as great as America, no working family should go without medical care because it is unaffordable. As your Congressman, I will push for a healthcare plan that will provide coverage to protect our families.

Safe Neighborhoods/Law Enforcement

Our families and children deserve safe neighborhoods to grow, learn, and thrive. We are living in unprecedented times where crime continues to increase. Our law enforcement officers and first responders put their lives on the lines every day to keep us safe, and we need to provide them with the training, equipment, and support to let them do their best job so that they can keep us safe.

Immigration

We are a nation founded by immigrants. As the son of a mother who immigrated to this country to follow the American dream, I know firsthand the needs of the immigrants who also wish to follow that dream. As your Congressman, I will work diligently to enact immigration reform that will end the inhumane conditions and abuse immigrants face from cartels and others encountered on their journey. We must provide access to residency and citizenship for the immigrants who wish to work, contribute to our economy, and establish their American dream.^[2]

”

—John Villarreal Rigney's campaign website (2022)^[3]

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.

John Villarreal Rigney campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2022	U.S. House Texas District 15	Lost primary	$330,110	$325,667
Grand total			$330,110	$325,667
Sources: OpenSecrets, Federal Elections Commission *This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

External links

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Candidate

U.S. House Texas District 15

Personal

Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 1, 2022
↑ 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

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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)

[bio-1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 1, 2022

[quotedisclaimer-2] Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

[3] Villarreal Rigney for Congress, “Issues,” accessed February 10, 2022

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John Villarreal Rigney

Biography

Elections

2024

General election

General election for U.S. House Texas District 15

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 15

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 15

Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 15

Endorsements

2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Texas District 15

Democratic primary runoff election

Democratic primary runoff for U.S. House Texas District 15

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Texas District 15

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Texas District 15

Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for U.S. House Texas District 15

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

2022

Campaign website

Campaign finance summary

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

2024 Election analysis

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