Press Release

We are officially in it! Yesterday Judy Canales made the nearly 5-hour drive from Eagle Pass to Austin, TX where she officially filed to run for the U.S. Congress. A proud daughter of South Texas, Judy was born and raised in Uvalde, where her mother Susana Maldonado Canales still lives and retired from Southwestern Bell Telephone Company and was a member of the Communications Workers of America. Judy’s father, Alfonso Avilés Canales, who served in the United States Navy during WWII, was one of the first Mexican-Americans to run for the Uvalde City Council early in his life and later was elected to the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Board. 

Canales graduated from Uvalde High School​ ​and ​Southwest Texas Junior College​​, then continued her education​ at the University of Texas at Austin, Trinity University in San Antonio and Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government; armed with education and a strong work ethic, she would eventually ​ris​e​ up the rank​s, to become ​the FIRST woman, and also, the FIRST Mexican-American woman ​to lead​ the Texas Farm Service Agency (FSA)​ under the United States Department of Agriculture​. Under her leadership, the Texas FSA delivered $7.6 billion to Texas farmers and ranchers, including nearly $2.2 billion during Fiscal Year 2015 alone.  Just as she fought to make progress for the agricultural community, which resulted in – the federal farm program payments and low-interest loans added or expanded by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (also known as the 2014 Farm Bill) and adding initiatives to communities of Texas such as: protecting water quality, increasing 1.1 million acres to benefit wildlife, pollinators and wetlands – such as then, she is ready to continue her commitment to serve her community, in Congress. 

Having served in both the Clinton and Obama administrations, Judy has dedicated her entire life to serving her hometown region and rural and urban communities. Judy is, not only a faithful public servant, but also a coach’s wife. Her husband, Juan Antonio Tovar, has been a teacher for over 35 years in Eagle Pass, where they reside.

“As a lifelong resident of this area, this is personal to me, we want to take our district back, I am proud to be officially running to represent the 23rd congressional district, which is my hometown region. I am fighting for our families, our healthcare and fighting to defend our way of life here on the border. I am so proud to be the candidate from South Texas, I know I can make a difference in the things that you and I believe in, but I can't do it without your help. Let’s show 'em how it's done! All 29 counties, from San Antonio, to Cotulla to El Paso, let's win this together and TURN THE TEXAS 23rd!” – Judy Canales

Judy is the first Latina to run in the 23rd District and if elected would be Texas' first Latina elected to the US Congress.

Judy Canales of Eagle Pass announces she will run to represent the people of Southwest and far West Texas in the U.S. Congress’ 23rd District. The district is currently represented by Will Hurd, (R) of Helotes.