What the 2020 Election Results Mean for the RGV and Beyond

*CORRECTION: Pulse incorrectly reported 10 million Americans have died from COVID-19, but this has been updated to reflect the correct data as of January 15, 2021.

The year 2020 has been a very tumultuous year fraught with civil unrest, an economic crisis that rivaled the Great Depression, and a disease that ravaged the world. And this was only in the United States. All around the world, countries were experiencing their own hardships and struggles. The most recent event that has captured the world’s attention is the U.S. 2020 presidential election. 

 Being one of the most influential countries in the world, people from all over held their breath as they watched the race for the presidency. Many believed that the Democrat nominee Joe Biden would have gained a large lead and win the election by a landslide while others warned of the “red mirage”. This meant that it would seem as though President Donald Trump was leading, but eventually votes from early voting and mail-in ballots would kick in and give Biden the win. What happened, however, was a waiting game. The results of the election took longer than anyone expected. In the end, everyone watched Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Georgia because they would be the deciding factor of who won the election. Then, on Nov. 7, all news networks from NBC to FOX news, declared Biden as the winner. Millions in the country breathed a sigh of relief while many other cried in anguish. As of today, Biden garnered 306 electoral votes and President Trump received 232 electoral votes, according to 270towin.com. 

Overall, the entirety of election week, or more accurately the months leading up to the election, were stressful and overwhelming for many. While everyone’s attention may have been on the presidential election, we see significant to members of both the House and Senate. Gone is the image of a room full of aged, white men and comes the dawn of a new era. Where there is gender and racial inclusivity, and we start to see the government slowly becoming a more accurate reflection of the people it represents.  

So, what do these new election results means for us in the Rio Grande Valley? Well, here is a short profile on those who won the election on both a federal, state, and local level. 

President and Vice President 

So, the election everyone watched. If you do not already know, some of the key points of the campaign include raising the minimum wage to $15 and reversing the tax cuts Trump made during 2017. This plan mostly affects Americans in the upper-income range by raising taxes for those making over $1 million a year, restoring the 39.6% top rate.  

In the midst of a pandemic where over 398,948 Americans have died, according to Worldometer, healthcare was a very crucial topic during the campaigns. Biden plans to provide free COVID-19 testing and treatment. Alongside that, he has a major focus on affordable healthcare, he supports Obamacare (also known as the Affordable Care Act), yet has no clear plan on how to expand. Keeping on topic, he also wants to expand access to mental health care and improve substance use treatment. While moving forward with making healthcare more accessible and affordable, he is a strong proponent on protecting the healthcare rights of women and people of the LGBTQ+ community.  

The Democratic Party Platform also includes plans to tackle the racial, gender, and sexuality inequality that has been plaguing the country for generations with solutions such as police reform and gun law reform. As forests were burning down and air pollution making it hard to breath, many people were also concerned with the rising climate crisis. In the platform, Biden has plans rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement since the United States leaving it during Trump’s term back in 2017. There are also plans to increase federal spending on clean energy research and development.  

These are only some of the major key points listed on the party platform. The 92-page document also includes plans on reforming the education system, improving foreign relations, and protecting and enforcing voting rights. 

Texas Senator 

Since the 1980 election, Texas has been a primarily red state, and true to its colors Sen. John Coryn won with an eight-point lead against MJ Hegar who was the Democratic candidate for the position. Now on his fourth term, Sen. Coryn has been the Texas senator since 2002. Being a Republican Senator, Coryn shares many of the party’s views that conflict with the Democratic party views. 

He voted to in favor of confirming Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett into the Supreme Court. Justice Barrett is known for her right-wing views such as believing the Constitution should be interpreted as it was written in 1781, challenging Roe v. Wade, and wrote a dissent on how the law that forbade people with felony conviction from owning guns should not apply the crime was nonviolent.  

His stance on healthcare was seen during the height of the pandemic, Sen. Coryn voted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. On his website, he stated that he believed that “with both the physical and economic health of our country in crisis, this bold legislation is our best path forward.” The act provided additional funding for hospitals, vaccines, and supported public health agencies on all levels. It also provided financial relief to all Texas by allotting checks of $1,200 to those making less than $75,000 per year, expanding unemployment insurance, and offering relief for Texas businesses. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley used the act to provide emergency relief grants to student for the Fall 2020 semester and the Spring 2021 semester. There are more details to how the university plans to implement the CARES act into its programs on their official website. 

Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice 

Chief Justice Nathan Hecht is a judge for Place 1, Chief Justic of the Texas Supreme Court. His initial term was to end this year, but ran again for reelection. He represented the Republican party for this position and his opponent was Judge Amy Clark Meachum, who represented the Democratic party.  

Much like Sen. Coryn, he supports most of the stances in the Republican Party Platform. He supports the initial interpretation of the Constitution and generally holds a lot of conservative views. The Texas Tribune wrote last Feb. 8, 2019, that Hecht advocated for a shift to a system that is more merit based rather than one driven by partisan politics. Chief Judge Hecht said that “when partisan politics is the driving force and the political climate is as harsh as ours has become, judicial elections make judges more political, and judicial independence is the casualty.” 

Hidalgo and Cameron County Election Results 

The Rio Grande Valley is known for being blue areas within the red state and recent election results reflect that according to the official Hidalgo county and Cameron county websites.  

In Hidalgo county, Rep. Vicente Gonazlez won the election for U.S. Representative for District 15 with 86,729 votes, Sen. Juan ‘Chuy’ Hinojosa won the position for State Senator for District 20 with 81, 574 votes, and J.E. ‘Eddie’ Guerra was elected the new sheriff with 139,277 votes in his favor. 

In Cameron County, Rep. Filemon B. Vela was elected as the U.S Representative for District 15 with 68, 501 votes, Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. Became the State Senator for District 27 with 69, 485 votes, and Eric Garza is now the sheriff, with 66, 566 votes.  

They were all candidates that representatives for the Democratic party and support a lot of the issues the platform is about. Often, local elections tend to get overlooked in the buzz of the presidential elections but should not be forgotten. Yes, the president runs country and holds a significant amount of power, but the system is built so that representatives at every level hold power to properly govern and represent the people. It is through the local government where many may find ways to change and influence the immediate society around them. Implementing initiatives that support local businesses, that encourage a more environmentally sustainable lifestyle, and preventing any form of discrimination all happens at the local level. So yes, these positions may not be as widely known or publicized as the presidency or as a state senator, but hold significant influence for residents nonetheless. 

In the end, things have just started. We are seeing a shift in power that leaves many both hopeful and terrified. The elections are already over and no matter what political party you support, it is important to know who is representing you. What do these people believe in and what policies do they support? As the ones being governed, we should always remember that it was through the power of the people that allowed the people who are now running our government to be where they are. So, we must understand what these people are for and remind them of the promises they made campaign season. We must hold these people accountable for the words they said and ensure that they live up to their titles. 

*CORRECTION: Pulse incorrectly reported 10 million Americans have died from COVID-19, but this has been updated to reflect the correct data as of January 15, 2021.