Photo by Ana Isabel
Update 5/15: The Jones campaign raised $100,000 on the day of her announcement. VoteVets endorsed her.
Gina Ortiz Jones is giving it another go.
On Tuesday she announced her candidacy for U.S. Congress against Republican incumbent Will Hurd. Ortiz previously challenged Hurd in 2018, coming up short by 900 votes in Texas’ only swing district.
As the immediate frontrunner, Ortiz launched her campaign with a video – receiving more than 70,000 hits in just several hours – to re-introduce herself to voters of the district.
“I’ve never been one to back down, because the promise of our country is worth fighting for,” she said to camera. “It’s why I’m stepping up again to run for Texas’ 23rd Congressional District. Join us as we finish what we started.”
Of her likely opponent, Jones told The Texas Signal, “Will Hurd is not, and has not been for a long time, acting in the best interests of our district. That’s why you see him on cable news, and on Seth Myers, and in New Hampshire, but not in the district holding town halls. He continues to leave behind the people in this district by refusing to work to bring down the cost of health care, and it’s time we have someone fighting for us in Congress.”
Jones was raised by a single mother and served in Iraq under the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. She has built a career in national security, with a particular focus on defense intelligence and economic security.
Jones’ opponent in the Democratic primary, Liz Wahl, was an anchor for the Russian government-backed TV network.
