Rio Grande Guardian's Podcast

MCALLEN, Texas — State Rep. Christina Morales (D-Houston) believes that "on a good day," Democrats can flip the Texas House of Representatives in the upcoming Nov. 3 midterm elections.

Speaking with the Rio Grande Guardian following a Texas Legislative Progressive Caucus "People's Hearing" at the historic Cine El Rey in McAllen, Morales expressed optimism about her party’s chances of reclaiming the state legislative chamber despite steep structural hurdles following mid-census gerrymandering.

Morales, who serves as chair of the House Democrats Campaign Committee, acknowledged that while internal modeling conservatively predicts picking up five to eight seats, a larger surge remains entirely within reach. Democrats need a net gain of 14 seats to gain control of the 150-member body.

"The goal is absolutely to flip it," Morales said. "We have seen in two recent credible reports that there are about 20 districts in play. That would give us enough to flip and have some cushion... Conservative internal polls make us feel really comfortable about flipping five to eight districts, but on a good day, I believe that we will flip the Texas House."

A major cornerstone of the Democratic strategy this election cycle is fielding a candidate in all 150 House districts—a feat the party has not accomplished since 1972. Morales emphasized that contesting every seat creates grassroots momentum that supports statewide candidates like Democratic gubernatorial nominee Gina Hinojosa.

"It’s very strategic," Morales explained. "In communities where they never had a Democrat to vote for, now they do, and they have that person knocking on their door and dragging them to the polls."

Morales pointed to the 2018 midterms, where Democrats flipped 12 Texas House seats, as evidence that significant swings are achievable during a Trump presidency. She argued that the political environment is even more favorable now given lower approval ratings for former President Donald Trump and a far more organized infrastructure.

"This time around, we are far more organized," Morales said. "We have a candidate in every seat."

Editor's Note: To read the full story go to riograndeguardian.com. 

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Civil engineering firm Garver joined forces with local community and business leaders on Thursday to celebrate the grand opening of its new regional office — a $5 million investment expected to spur further economic development across the Rio Grande Valley.

City and regional officials, including Harlingen Mayor Norma Sepulveda and Harlingen Economic Development Corporation (EDC) CEO Orlando Campos, gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house at the new 25,000-square-foot facility.

The state-of-the-art office consolidates Garver’s operations in Harlingen and serves as a regional hub to support infrastructure projects throughout South Texas and beyond.

Garver first established its Harlingen Water Design Center in 2017 with a small local team. Over the past nine years, the multidisciplinary center — focused on the planning, design, construction, and operation of water and wastewater treatment facilities — has grown to 54 employees.

The new space provides capacity for up to 100 staff members, positioning the firm to create up to 50 additional high-paying engineering and technical jobs in the area.

"When we started in Harlingen nearly a decade ago, we were a much smaller team. We've grown because of the talented people we've been able to hire and the relationships we've built throughout the Valley," said Ernie Flores, manager of the Garver Water Design Center. "This new office gives us room to keep growing while continuing to serve our clients and support a community that has been incredibly welcoming to us."

The attached audio recording includes remarks from the podium by Harlingen Mayor Norma Sepulveda, state Rep. Janie Lopez of San Benito, Harlingen Economic Development Corporation CEO Orlando Campos, Ernie Flores, manager of Garver Water Design Center, and Garver CEO Brock Hoskins. 

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MCALLEN, Texas - Three members of the Texas Legislative Progressive Caucus held a “People’s Hearing” in McAllen on Sunday, October 11. 

It was held at the historic Cine El Rey. 

The group was on a fact-finding mission, looking to hear from community leaders and residents about the challenges the Rio Grande Valley currently faces and what issues they would like addressed in the next legislative session. 

TLPC has held similar hearings in other parts of Texas. 

The three members were state Rep. Ana-María Rodríguez Ramos, the group’s Chair, state Rep. Christina Morales, and state Rep. Nicole Collier. 

The members heard from three panels. One focused on labor rights, one on the environment, and one on immigration. 

Rep. Morales also chairs the Texas House Democratic Campaign Committee. In an interview with the Rio Grande Guardian, Morales said that "on a good day, that we will flip the Texas House."

For this to happen Democrats have to gain a net 14 seats in the November elections. 

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Adrian Rodriguez, the new president of AEP Texas, testified before the Texas Senate Committee on Business & Commerce at the State Capitol in Austin in late July, 2026.

Addressing state lawmakers, Rodriguez emphasized that rapid economic development across AEP Texas's 97,000-square-mile service territory in South and West Texas is pushing existing transmission infrastructure to capacity.

"It's not just the Permian Basin that is experiencing growth," Rodriguez testified before the Senate committee. "In our own service territory for AEP Texas... we're experiencing extraordinary growth. We have coastal refineries that are expanding, in the Rio Grande Valley we have liquefied natural gas terminals that are in progress, there's significant growth in and around Laredo... Altogether, those projects... traditional Texas business, is what is driving the need for these transmission lines."

Rodriguez highlighted major infrastructure undertakings currently underway, including the Howard to Solstice Transmission Line project developed in partnership with San Antonio-based CPS Energy, and discussed industry efforts to deploy high-capacity 765 kV transmission lines.

"Our sister companies have worked with 765 kV transmission lines since 1969, and there's already thousands of miles of it in other states," Rodriguez testified. "Primary because of the fact that we can move so much power on it and impacting fewer landowners than we would have otherwise if we had tried to transmit the same amount of power on equivalent 345 kV transmission lines."

Rodriguez stressed that delays in regulatory approval and Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (CCN) applications risk exacerbating supply chain bottlenecks for critical electrical components.

"Transmission is not built for its own sake... We can't have generation without transmission," Rodriguez stated, reassuring lawmakers and landowners that utility companies are engaging communities early through open houses well ahead of formal CCN filings. "Our goal is to make sure that we have the necessary infrastructure available for our customers."

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HARLINGEN, Texas — As the Rio Grande Valley continues its rapid economic expansion, regional leaders are gathering this week to tackle two of the most critical factors underpinning future growth: infrastructure readiness and human capital development.

The Institute for Leadership in Capital Projects (I-LinCP) RGV Chapter, in partnership with the Harlingen Economic Development Corporation (EDC), will host "Powering Texas and Regional Growth: Infrastructure + Workforce Exchange" on Thursday, Aug. 13, at the Harlingen Convention Center from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Setting the stage for the event, Carol Warkoczewski, founder of I-LinCP, highlighted the critical timing of the gathering.

"As the South Texas area continues to experience unprecedented growth, the need for strategic infrastructure investment and a skilled workforce has never been greater," Warkoczewski said. "This collaborative event will bring together industry leaders, public sector representatives, educators, and economic development professionals to explore the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of this region."

However, prospective attendees are urged to act immediately: seats are filling up rapidly, with organizers confirming that only a handful of spots remain available.

"We initially were thinking of having 70 attendees, but we had to open it up to 100," said Jose Delgado, I-LinCP co-founder and McAllen-based engineer. "Just a few minutes ago, we had a meeting, and there were only 12 spaces, maybe 15 spaces left. Time is running out."

Editor's Note: Here is an interview with Jose Delgado and Orlando Campos, CEO of Harlingen Economic Development Corporation. To read the full story go to riograndeguardian.com. 

Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos. 

MISSION, Texas - Veteran trial attorney Ricardo “Rick” Salinas officially entered the race for mayor of Mission, Texas, filing his candidacy paperwork and outlining an ambitious campaign platform focused on City Hall transparency, urgent infrastructure repairs, and fiscal accountability ahead of the November election.

Salinas, who has practiced law for 33 years, framed his run not as a career move, but as an “affair of the heart” aimed at addressing core municipal issues that he contends current leadership has neglected.

Salinas gave an interview to the Rio Grande Guardian just before filing his paperwork to run for mayor of Mission. Later that evening he held a Meet & Greet with supporters. The interview started with his thoughts on former foe Ester Salinas (no relation), a community activist from Mission who use to have serious disagreements with Rick Salinas' father, Beto Salinas, when he was mayor of Mission. 

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AUSTIN, Texas - Gov. Greg Abbott and Dino Mavrookas, co-founder and CEO of Saronic Technologies, made an announcement about manufacturing investment at the company’s headquarters in Austin.

Saronic was founded in 2022 and specializes in unmanned maritime vehicles. Mavrookas announced a $3.2 billion investment at the Port of Brownsville for the company’s next generation Port Alpha shipyard. The project is focused on the production of autonomous surface vessels for defense and commercial applications.

Here is an audio recording of their remarks.

Editor’s Note: To read the full story go to riograndeguardian.com.

Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos. 

HARLINGEN, Texas - The City of Harlingen is to name a new park after Arturo Treto Garza, an influential leader in the movement to bring a Veteran's Hospital to the Rio Grande Valley and longtime columnist for the Rio Grande Guardian.

Garza, a decorated U.S. Marine who fought in the Vietnam War, died in November 2012 aged 86. A former co-chair of the Veteran’s Alliance of the Rio Grande Valley, Garza edited the Guardian’s influential Veteran Voice column from 2007 right up until his death.

Garza was a strong-willed and outspoken in the causes he believed in. One of his last columns for the Guardian, in October 2012, was titled: “Veteranos, Wake the F*** Up. It urged Rio Grande Valley veterans not to give up their fight for a VA hospital. 

Upon his death, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn passed a resolution in Garza’s honor, saying he was proud to call Sgt. Garza a friend.

“He will be remembered for his honorable service to our country, his fierce devotion to the veteran community in South Texas, and his tireless fight to improve health care services for veterans in the Rio Grande Valley,” Cornyn said. “My staff and I were privileged to have his thoughtful input on veterans’ issues for many years and his leadership in the Valley will be sorely missed.”

Rio Grande Guardian Editor Steve Taylor said Valley veterans owe a great deal of gratitude to Garza for keeping veterans affairs front and center. “Treto was persistent. He knew what the goal was. He came to us in 2007 and asked if he could start writing a column and he never stopped writing. Through his columns he kept the politicians accountable,” Taylor said.

Click here to read one of the Guardian’s tribute stories about Sgt. Garza.

The new park that will be named after Garza is behind the fire station on Stuart Place Road. Plans include a basketball court, walking trail, solar lighting, and parking. The city says it will be the first park for people on the west side of the city. City leaders hope to add a splash pad later.

The city commissioner who pushed to have the park named for Sgt. Garza was Rene Perez. He spoke about how it came about at a city commission meeting on July 1.

Editor's Note: Attached is an audio recording on the discussion about naming the new park in honor of Sgt. Garza.

Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos. 

WESLACO, Texas - The four county judges in the Rio Grande Valley have asked the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council to be part of a new water management plan for the region.

The Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Management Plan aims to advance regional water solutions for the Valley. The plan is being funded by the North American Development Bank with Halff brought in as lead organizer.

“We were recruited to participate in the RGV Water Management Plan advisory committee and the first meeting was held yesterday at the Rio Grande Valley Partnership,” said Manuel Cruz, executive director of LRGVDC, at the group’s July meeting. 

“The project is being funded by NADBank. They hired a consultant, Halff Associates to create the plan; to develop a water management plan.”

NADBank has produced a brochure that explains the plan.

“The Water Management Plan for the Lower Rio Grande Valley is a coordinated regional effort to help communities, water providers, irrigation districts, groundwater districts, and elected officials to identify longterm sustainable water solutions,” the brochure states.

“Led by the county commissioners of Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy counties, in partnership with the North American Development Bank, the project will create a regional road map to strengthen water reliability, improve drought resistance, and enhance coordination across the four-county region.”

Editor's Note: Go to the Rio Grande Guardian website to read the full story.

Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos. 

WESLACO, Texas - The four county judges in the Rio Grande Valley have asked the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council to be part of a new water management plan for the region.

The Lower Rio Grande Valley Water Management Plan aims to advance regional water solutions for the Valley. The plan is being funded by the North American Development Bank with Halff brought in as lead organizer.

“We were recruited to participate in the RGV Water Management Plan advisory committee and the first meeting was held yesterday at the Rio Grande Valley Partnership,” said Manuel 'Manny' Cruz, executive director of LRGVDC, at the group’s July meeting. 

“The project is being funded by NADBank. They hired a consultant, Halff Associates to create the plan; to develop a water management plan.”

NADBank has produced a brochure that explains the plan.

“The Water Management Plan for the Lower Rio Grande Valley is a coordinated regional effort to help communities, water providers, irrigation districts, groundwater districts, and elected officials to identify longterm sustainable water solutions,” the brochure states

“Led by the county commissioners of Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy counties, in partnership with the North American Development Bank, the project will create a regional road map to strengthen water reliability, improve drought resistance, and enhance coordination across the four-county region.”

Editor's Note: Go to the Rio Grande Guardian's website to read the full story.

Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.