Laredoan Francisco Canseco in Republican Congressional Runoff

"Laredo has a second bite at the apple," Francisco "Quico" Canseco said Wednesday, referring to the possibility of electing a Laredoan to U.S. Congress.

To win the Republican primary run-off election for Congressional District 28, scheduled for April 13, Canseco said he needs the help of all Democrat and Republican voters who did not cast a ballot during the March 9 primary.

According to state law, any person who did not vote in the Democratic primary - either because they voted in the Republican primary or they didn't vote at all - is allowed to vote in the Republican run-off election.

The Laredo attorney and banker said he plans to appeal to these voters "on the basis of our values as Laredoans, that we cherish our homes, our families, our traditions, our communities.

"We cherish the value of hard work and want to see our community grow for the benefit of our children and jobs. We want to make sure that Washington focuses its eyes on this side again and that the waters of the Potomac come and nourish the Rio Grande," he said.

Canseco, the first Laredoan to run for U.S. Congress on the Republican ticket, garnered one of two spots for the Republican primary run-off election after all votes were tabulated Tuesday night.

He faces Republican opponent James "Jim" Hopson of Seguin in the April 13 run-off election. The winner will face Democrat Ciro Rodriguez of San Antonio in the November general election.

Canseco faced four Republican opponents in the March 9 primary election and took second place with 22.58 percent, or 2,231 voters, in the 11-county congressional district, according to the Texas Secretary of State's Website.

To win the April 13 run-off election, Canseco stressed he will need the help of all Webb County voters, especially those who did not vote in the Democratic March 9 primary, to go out and vote for him in the April 13 run-off election.

"Republican is sometimes thought of as a bad word around here, or we are sometimes looked down upon, but I need to be looked upon as a Laredoan. There are so many issues facing Laredo. It has been 20 years since we had a congressman from Laredo," he said.

"I won the Laredo vote with 152 votes in Webb County. There are a lot of registered voters who did not come out to vote. Hopson got that margin because all of his base came out in droves to support him," Canseco said.

"Those Democrat and Republican voters who did not get out and vote in Webb County, are going to be called upon to vote 'Republican' in the run-off, as well as those who voted in the Republican primary," he said.

Canseco received 50.84 percent of the Webb County vote in the Republican primary, or 152 votes.

"I'm very happy. I figured I would be in the run-off. There were four candidates, and I'm glad we got this far. I want to take it further," he said.

"I sincerely believe that I have the skills and the experience and the vision and the integrity to be the finest congressman that Laredo has ever seen," Canseco said. "But we need to get out the vote. The idea being is it time for Laredo to have its own congressman, and here's your chance. We have a second bite at the apple."

(Staff writer Tricia Cortez can be reached at 728-2568 or tricia@lmtonline.com.)

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"Republican is sometimes thought of as a bad word around here, or we are sometimes looked down upon," said Canseco

Another Laredoan who ran for county office Tuesday said flatly that Jesus could not win Webb Co. on a Republican ticket.

"Another Laredoan who ran for county office Tuesday said flatly that Jesus could not win Webb Co. on a Republican ticket."

That may be true, but Canseco isn't trying to win Webb County in a general election. He's trying to defeat another Republican in the primary. And as funny as it may sound, the 64.5% Hispanic 28th CD is actually winnable for the GOP, since GOP performance was 41% in 2002 and 49% in 2000 (when I'm pretty sure Bush carried the district over Gore under its 2004 lines). But to win, we obviously need a Republican who can get a good share of the Hispanic vote, and run strongly in the Laredo area, which is heavily Democrat but which may not exactly love the idea of voting for San Antonian Ciro Rodriguez, who defeated Laredoan Bobby Cuellar by like 125 votes in the RAT primary. So I, for one, hope that Republicans of the 28th district, Hispanic and Anglo alike, vote for Quico Canseco in the run-off and give us a chance to defeat a liberal Democrat incumbent in November.

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