The following candidates have won congressional primaries this year in districts where their party is largely in control. These party nominees almost certainly will win election in November and become House Members in the 116th Congress, which will convene in January 2019. Additional names will be added to the list following primaries in other states, which will extend until September. These bios are an initial version of the profiles that will appear in the 2020 Almanac of American Politics, which will be published by Columbia Books.
Chuy Garcia; Illinois – 4
- Arrived in Chicago as a 5-year-old immigrant from Mexico
- Graduated from the University of Illinois
- Spent 6 years on the Chicago City Council, 6 years in the State Senate, and 8 years in his current seat on the Cook County Board of Commissioners
- Unsuccessfully challenged Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s reelection in 2015
Sylvia Garcia; Texas – 29
- Graduated from Texas Woman’s University and received her law degree from Texas Southern University in Houston
- In 1998 became Houston City Controller
- Elected in 2002 to the Harris County Commissioners Court; the first woman, and first Latina to hold that position
Van Taylor; Texas – 3
- Graduated Harvard College and Harvard Business School
- Captain in the Marine Corps, winning awards for his services as a platoon commander and intelligence officer in Iraq
- Elected to the Texas Senate in 2014, previously serving four years in the state House
Veronica Escobar; Texas – 16
- Graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso
- Taught Chicano Literature at UTEP
- Served as El Paso County Commissioner
- Served 7 years as El Paso County Judge
*These profiles were prepared by Richard Cohen, Chief Author of The Almanac of American Politics with the assistance of biographical and campaign information from the Ballotpedia, The Encyclopedia of American Politics, website. This content may not be copied or duplicated without permission from Columbia Books and Ballotpedia.
