State Senator César J. Blanco took his Oath of Office for his second term representing District 29 in the Texas Senate on Jan. 10, the opening day of the 88th Texas Legislature.

Senate District 29 is made up of Brewster (partially), Culberson, El Paso, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Pecos, Presidio, and Reeves counties.

Senate District 29 includes both rural and urban communities, as well as more than 350 miles of the Texas-Mexico Border.

"I am honored to continue serving and advocating for the people of District 29 in the Texas Senate. I want to thank the people of District 29 for their support and the trust they put in me to be a fighter for our community,” Blanco said. “I’m eager to get to work for El Paso and far West Texas.”

This session, Senator Blanco is focusing on delivering economic security to working families, including property tax relief, better healthcare closer to home, access to clean water, strengthening our public schools and supporting our teachers, keeping our kids & communities safe from gun violence, supporting Texas energy security to drive down energy costs and ensure the lights stay on, and good paying jobs.

Senator Blanco also announced his staff for the 88th Texas Legislature:

Josh Reyna, Chief of Staff, is a graduate of St. Edward’s University and the University of Texas School of Law. He previously served as Legislative Director for the Vice-Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and has served as Senator Blanco’s Chief of Staff since 2016. He has 14 years of legislative and political experience and is a licensed attorney in the State of Texas.

Cassandra Urrutia, District and Legislative Director, is from Anthony, TX, and is a graduate of New Mexico State University and a proud Alum of The University of Texas at El Paso. Cassandra has worked in the legislature for 4 years and previously served as the District and Interim Legislative Director for State Representative Lina Ortega.

Taylor Sanchez, Communications Director, is a proud El Pasoan and a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin where she studied Political Communications and Business Administration. Before working for Senator Blanco, Taylor served as the Advocacy Coordinator for the El Paso Chamber and Public Relations Specialist for El Paso Mayor Dee Margo.

Mayela Granados, Executive Assistant, is an El Paso Native and has 15 years of experience in public administration. Prior to working for Senator Blanco, Mayela worked for the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and the City of Socorro City Manager’s Office.

Alejandra Villarreal, Constituent Caseworker, is from Socorro, TX, graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso, and is working on her Master's in Criminal Justice with an emphasis on Legal Studies. Alejandra previously worked as a Qualified Mental Health Professional for El Paso Mental Health.

Tony Wen, Policy Analyst, is a recent graduate from the University of Texas at Austin and previously worked as a Legislative Assistance for Senator Royce West during the 87th Legislative Session.

Marty Scott, Legislative Law Clerk, is a graduate of Savannah State University with a B.S. in Political Science with a concentration in pre-law. Marty is currently a second-year law student attending Southern University Law Center (SULC) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Erin Gonzales, Legislative Assistant, is a graduate of Texas A&M University. Prior to working the session, she worked at a lobbying and advocacy firm in Washington, D.C. Erin is from Houston, Texas.

Alex Rodriguez, Legislative Aide, is a proud El Pasoan and a current undergraduate student at the University of Texas at El Paso and is a part of a semester-long fellowship. He previously interned and worked in Senator Blanco's El Paso District Office.

Arista Brianna Garcia, Legislative Assistance, is a graduate of St. Edward's University, Prior to working at the Capitol, she worked at Garcia & Villarreal Law Firm as an administrative assistant and is from the Texas border.