Texas House District 77 candidate: Homer Reza
TX House District 77 candidate
Homer Reza - D
Age: 73
Personal and Professional background
In my personal life, I married my high school sweetheart, Margarita Reza, and we celebrated 50 years together in 2023. We have four children: Sophia Monica Reza, a former KTSM Anchor/Reporter in El Paso from 1999-2005, and current Marketing Project Manager for Androvett Legal Media and Marketing in Dallas; Isabel Reza White, an assistant principal at Jefferson High School; Homero Reza Jr., a financial representative for Charles Schwab in Austin; and Gabriel A.
Reza, a director of sales for Southwest United States for Arneta and living in Houston. I also have 4 grandchildren: Bryce and Caden White, Elliot and Francesca Reza.
Professionally, I worked at IBM 16 years and Eastman Kodak 6 years for a total of 22 years. While working there, I developed a strong background in business development and sales management by working in many different sectors, including government, private industry, education, and the Maquiladoras. Now, in my most recent role as an Independent Insurance Agent at the Homer Reza Agency, I have honed my skills in customer service, working strictly with the senior market.
How do you earn a living? Do you plan to continue if elected?
I earn a living by working my agency. I have a good book of business and coupled with my Social Security; I earn a good living. I plan to continue if elected.
Please describe your education.
I received my high school diploma from Jefferson High School. I also earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from UTEP in 1972. I also have an insurance license in Life, Health, and P&C, and certification in Strategic Negotiations. Past expired licenses in 6 and 63 Securities.
What experiences in leadership do you have that qualify you for this position?
Although leadership is important for this position, it does not define this position. This position requires strong voice representation where effective communication, negotiation skills, and a deep understanding of the needs and preferences of the community are essential. These are the skills I have acquired and can very effectively use as a state representative. However, to answer your questions, here are some experiences:
2021 – Co-Chair of the El Paso County Advisory Redistricting Commission
Chairman of the Board for Project Amistad – 2005 and 2006
Former Commissioner for the City Plan Commission in 2006
Former Vice-president of the El Paso Boys and Girls Club Alumni Association
Supervisor for 3 years while working with the State Department of Human Services from 1974 – 1977. I managed a total of 16 workers;
Have you ever been arrested or charged with a crime? - NO
If elected, would you have any potential conflicts of interest that you are aware of that would impair your ability to serve? – NO
What does transparent government mean to you? Will you be personally accessible to answer questions while in office?
Transparent government simply means openness. This means having information readily available to the public to include publishing laws, regulations, and policies. In other words, making government accessible to all citizens. I would be accessible to answer questions while in the office.
Why are you running for this office?
The state government is so divided that nothing is getting done. Part of the problem is that we keep putting people in government that put personal political interest first over people’s needs. My three opponents fit that description. I am running to change that culture. Putting the same people back in office will not change that culture. I am running to put the needs of the people first over political interest. I am not running to add to my political resume. This is the only seat I want, no other.
Why are you the best candidate for this office?
Quite simply, I have the most experience in skills needed to be a strong state representative. During the time I worked with IBM and Eastman Kodak, I had the opportunity to learn how to seek solutions by listening to the needs of my customers, understanding their needs, and putting solutions to work. And I had many successes during that period. I will put these skills to work by working with my constituents to prioritize their needs and fighting for them in Austin. If I need to fight for more funding for public schools, I will, if I need to work on strengthening school protection, I will, If I must eliminate barriers so that small businesses and startups can succeed, I will. What ever the need is, I will be there fighting for them.
What do you feel are the largest challenges facing District 77? What would you do to address them.
Because I am coming to this position from the business side not the political one, I do not have the luxury of knowing exactly what the largest challenges are today that are facing District 77. Having said that, I know that the district has 25% living in poverty and 37% making $25,000 or less per year. Based on theses statistics, I would direct my efforts on making sure education becomes a key issue where every child, no matter their income level, has an equal opportunity to receive a high-quality education so that they can have the same chance of succeeding in life as any other child. I would also concentrate on eliminating barriers that would keep startups and established companies from succeeding so that well paid jobs can be created. I would work on finding ways to provide needed capital, make low interest loans available, and provide tax incentives.
How do you plan to get things done in the Texas House amid a Republican majority?
This is a monumental task. I need to work with my delegation to prioritize the needs of all four districts so that we can present a strong voice for El Paso. Then we would work on finding some common grounds with other representatives that have the same needs and try to establish a working relationship with them. This requires having strong communication skills and negotiation skills which I have. Hopefully, this will bring some solutions to our community. If we fail, we must continue trying until we succeed.
What can the Democratic lawmakers do to address the chaos currently unfolding at the border?
We must work on supporting bi-partisan legislation introduced by the US congress so that we can start addressing the problem. This is a federal issue, but the impact of the federal laws is becoming very costly on our border. By agreeing to some of the demands from each party, we can start making headway. We can also look at passing some legislation that will support the bill introduced at the federal level and still stay within the jurisdiction of state laws.
What legislation would you like to see passed specifically to benefit the residents of District 77.
I would like to see legislation that would address transportation needs in the district. To attract businesses, we must have good roads. This is essential to companies in moving their products in a timely manner. To have schools easily accessible, we must have good roads. District 77 is lacking in this area, and I would work on passing legislation that will address this.
How will you push back against the state’s broad restrictions regarding women’s reproductive health.
I will simply work hard to oppose any further legislation that will continue to put barriers on women’s right to have an abortion and that includes the right to travel outside Texas. If a woman is determined to have an abortion no matter what, by putting state restrictions on her, we are forcing her to seek other alternatives that may be unsafe and even life-threatening. We need to stop this.
What compromises can be made on school funding without reverting to a school voucher?
At this point, I cannot think of a compromise I would support. I believe all funding allocated to public schools should go to public schools. They are already way underfunded so we cannot afford to redirect funding to private schools. I would need to work with our delegation to come up with a working compromise that is acceptable, should one exist.
The candidates' responses are being published largely as they were submitted.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Texas House District 77 candidate: Homer Reza
