Heriberto "Eddie" Morales Jr. (born January 24, 1975)[1] is an American attorney and politician. He has represented the 74th District in the Texas House of Representatives since 2021. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
Eddie Morales | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 74th district | |
| Assumed office January 12, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Poncho Nevárez |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Heriberto Morales Jr. January 24, 1975 Piedras Negras, Mexico |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Hellen Martinez |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of Texas, Austin (BA) St. Mary's University, Texas (JD) |
| Website | Campaign website |
Early life, education, and career
editBorn in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico in 1975, Morales graduated from Eagle Pass High School in Eagle Pass, Texas in 1993.[2][3] He subsequently attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he received a BA in Political Science and a double minor in Business and Spanish in 1997. Morales later earned his Juris Doctor from the St. Mary's University School of Law in 2000. Since then Morales has worked for Langley & Bannack back in Eagle Pass.[3] During his high school years, he helped at his family's business, Piedras Negras Tortilla Factory in Eagle Pass.[2]
Elections
editMorales announced in November 2019 to run for the Texas House of Representatives District 74th seat, that was being held by Poncho Nevárez at the time.[2] Representative Nevárez announced in late 2019, that he would not seek re-election for the 87th legislature.[2] Morales won the 2020 election for the seat against Ruben Falcon (a Republican) with 53.9% of the vote in November 2020.[4]
Morales ran for re-election in 2022 against Katherine Parker (Republican) and won with 55.7% of the vote.[5]
Political positions
editBorder Security
editMorales supports legal immigration, expanding worker visa permits and bracero-type visas for farming and agriculture. He is also in favor of a controlled and secured border using a combination of manpower, advanced border security technology and a physical border.[6]
Education
editMorales is in favor of increasing the basic allotment for public schools, including teacher raises.
Health care
editMorales supports expanding Medicaid, so that all receive quality and affordable healthcare. He stated[when?] that six of the 12 counties have three or less physicians. Three counties within the district have zero physicians servicing their communities.[6] Morales is also an advocate for mental health resources for West and South Texas.
Transportation
editMorales supports more funding in his district for transportation, as he believes roadway access between communities through a modernized roadway is essential for the safety of our citizens and the growth of communities. He states that cities and counties in the district cannot afford significant infrastructure investments.[3][6]
References
edit- ^ "Eddie Morales' Biography". votesmart.org. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Heriberto "Eddie" Morales, Jr. Announces Candidacy for State Representative District 74". Eagle Pass Business Journal. November 2019. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Eddie Morales Announces Candidacy for State Representative House District 74". Eagle Pass Business Journal. February 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
- ^ "Eddie Morales Wins Texas House of Representative, District 74, Over Ruben Falcon". Eagle Pass Business Journal. November 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
- ^ "Eddie Morales Jr". Ballotpedia. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Meet the candidates, part 6: Texas State House District 74". The Big Bend Sentinel. February 26, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2021.