Eddie Lucio, Jr.

"A native of Brownsville, Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. began his public service\ \ in 1971, becoming Cameron County Treasurer and later Cameron County Commissioner.\ \ After having served two terms in the Texas House of Representatives, he was elected\ \ to the Texas Senate in 1991. He is third in seniority and Chairman of the Senate\ \ Committee on Intergovernmental Relations. \r \r A relentless advocate for the\ \ Rio Grande Valley and the ranch lands of the coastal bend, he improved access\ \ to higher education to strengthen the South Texas economy. His legislation created\ \ several colleges and universities in Rio Grande Valley including a medical school.\r\ \ \r During his tenure on the Finance Committee, Lucio worked to secure state funding\ \ for South Texas infrastructure, which contributed to the designation of the first\ \ interstates in the Rio Grande Valley. \r \r Lucio grew up in the Bougainvillea\ \ Neighborhood \u2013A Subdivision of the Brownsville Housing Authority- where the\ \ challenges of his childhood influenced the cornerstones of his legislative agenda.\ \ \r \r As he prepares for the Legislative Session, Senator Lucio is guided by\ \ the values he learned growing up in Brownsville, which were enriched as an educator\ \ and cultivated in the corridors of the State Capitol, by putting people first\ \ and advocating for hard-working families of South Texas.\r \r Click for a high\ \ resolution version of Sen. Lucio's headshot."