Presidio Mayor John Ferguson is criticizing Gov. Greg Abbott for not calling a special election to fill Texas’ vacant 23rd Congressional District seat, arguing residents across the sprawling border district have been left without federal representation during a series of regional crises.
In a public statement, Ferguson said the district has faced multiple significant issues since former U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales resigned from Congress on April 14, including continued construction of the Big Bend border wall, the detection of the nation’s first case of New World screwworm in La Pryor and a community-wide water outage in Sierra Blanca.
“In each instance, there has been no one at the federal level to render aid as a member of Congress,” Ferguson said. “Why? Because Texas Governor Greg Abbott has chosen not to call a special election to fill the vacant Congressional seat. It’s politics and the constituents of TX-23 are paying the price.”
Texas’ 23rd Congressional District stretches from western San Antonio to El Paso and includes much of the Texas-Mexico border, including the Big Bend region and Presidio County. The seat has remained vacant since Gonzales’ resignation became effective April 14.
Under Texas law, the timing of a special election to fill a congressional vacancy is determined by the governor. Abbott had not announced an election date as of Monday.
The delay has drawn criticism from some local officials and Democrats who argue the district’s residents are effectively without representation in Washington during a period of major border, infrastructure and agricultural concerns. Republicans hold a narrow majority in the U.S. House, where vacancies can affect vote margins on major legislation.
