Media

Updated 06/23/2026 

 

Overview

Voters in South Texas need to know Congressman Vicente Gonzalez will put South Texas first. Vicente has a record of working across the aisle to deliver for us, fighting for working- and middle-class Texans.

Summary

Voters, including those on the go, need to see, read and hear on English and Spanish across the district, that:

  • Vicente Gonzalez was raised by a hard-working military family in South Texas. After dropping out of high school, he buckled down, got his G.E.D., went to community college, and later got his law degree from Texas A&M. Vicente always stayed rooted in South Texas, as a lawyer he represented families that were wronged, recovering millions in tax dollars for South Texas schools when shady contractors left our kids in danger.

  • Vicente knows South Texans are tired of price-gouging corporations and nonstop corruption. That’s why he’s taken on big pharma to cap the price of insulin at $35, is fighting to lower the cost of prescription drugs and insurance premiums and working across the aisle to finally fix our broken immigration system. He’s an independent fighter willing to work with both parties to deliver for South Texas.

  • Vicente thinks every young person should have the opportunity to succeed. That’s why he’s delivered over $1.3 billion for education, including $27.5 million for early childhood education, and spearheaded legislation to make it easier for everyone to go to trade or vocational schools, so every Texan – not just the wealthy and powerful – has the tools they need to succeed, even if they don’t go to college.

  • Vicente believes Medicare is not a handout, it is a sacred promise paid by workers every day for their entire lives. That’s why he’s always fought to protect our Medicare and Social Security: restoring benefits for South Texas’ teachers, firefighters, and police officers and fighting back against efforts to privatize or cut Texans’ hard-earned benefits

Once voters hear the above, all voters should see, including those on the go, read and hear on English and Spanish across the district, but especially in the Harlingen market, that:

  • Vicente believes immigrants play a key role in our economy and that the reckless deportations of workers in key industries, like farming, construction, and hospitality, has threatened our economy. That’s why he’s fighting to reform our immigration system once and for all: advocating for small businesses to sponsor undocumented immigrants who pass a background check and have never had legal troubles – so they can lawfully contribute to our communities – and continue to keep our border protected, while holding ICE accountable so that we can focus on deporting violent criminals instead of law abiding neighbors.

Core Message

Congressman Vicente Gonzalez is the only candidate in this race who was born and raised in the district. He was raised by a hard-working military family in South Texas. His mother told him education would open doors, so after dropping out of high school, he earned his G.E.D., worked his way through community college and university, and went on to earn his law degree.

Vicente believes immigrants play a key role in our economy and that the reckless deportations of workers in key industries, like construction, farming, hospitality, has threatened our economy. That’s why he’s fighting to reform our immigration system once and for all: advocating for small businesses to sponsor undocumented immigrants who pass a background check and have never had legal troubles – so they can lawfully contribute to our communities – and continue to keep our border protected, but holding ICE accountable and so we focus on deporting violent criminals instead of law abiding neighbors.

In Congress, Vicente has spent his career fighting for working families and forcing Washington to deliver for South Texas. He’s taken on pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug prices, fought corporate price-gougers driving up the cost of groceries, forced the V.A. to deliver real care for South Texas veterans, and stood up to anyone in either party trying to cut our seniors’ earned benefits. He’s an independent fighter who works with whoever will deliver for South Texas and takes on whoever stands in the way. Since taking office, Vicente has delivered over $8 billion dollars for South Texas.

Vicente has always fought for a strong South Texas economy. He’s worked across the aisle to protect our trade relationship with Mexico that supports 301,000 good-paying jobs along the border, and he led the fight to save 2,500 manufacturing jobs in Corpus Christi. Now he’s pushing for higher wages, affordable housing, and expanded paid family leave so working families can actually get ahead in the communities where they were raised.

Vicente believes Medicare and Social Security are not handouts. They’re a sacred promise paid for by workers every day of their entire lives. That’s why he fought and won to restore benefits for South Texas teachers, firefighters, and police officers, and why he’ll keep fighting back against every effort to privatize or cut the benefits Texans have earned.

Vicente knows every young person in South Texas deserves the chance to build a life here, whether they go to college or not. He’s led the charge to expand access to trade and vocational schools, fought for higher wages for working people, and pushed for affordable housing so young South Texans can build a future in the same communities where they grew up instead of being priced out.

Two-track messaging approach

General election voters, including persuadable independents, soft Republicans, and crossover Hispanic voters, need to hear Vicente as an independent fighter with a proven delivery record: 301,000 trade jobs protected, 2,500 manufacturing jobs saved in Corpus Christi, millions returned to South Texas schools, lower prescription drug prices, and earned Medicare and Social Security benefits restored for teachers, firefighters, and police officers. The Democratic base, including younger Hispanic voters, progressive Democrats, and reliable Democratic seniors, needs to hear what Vicente is fighting against: pharmaceutical companies, corporate price-gougers, the privatization crowd, and federal overreach targeting South Texas families. Creative should run both tracks in parallel rather than trying to split the difference in a single piece.

By market

Heavier introduction-level contact in the Corpus Christi market. Persuasion and reinforcement weight in the Harlingen/Brownsville market.

By language

Spanish-language and English-language creative running in parallel across all mediums. Spanish-language radio in particular carries significant weight in Harlingen/Brownsville.

By medium and audience

Broadcast and cable TV for broad reach across the district, with message weight favoring the bio, economic fight, and Medicare content. Streaming and CTV for working voters on the go and households that have cut the cord. Digital and social including Meta and YouTube for voters under 45. Local Spanish-language radio in Harlingen/Brownsville and the Rio Grande Valley, carrying the bio, economic, and federal-overreach messaging. Direct mail targeted to voters 65 and older, carrying the Medicare and Social Security content.