Henry Bonilla (born January 2, 1954) is a former congressman representing the 23rd Texas congress district at the United States House of Representatives. He was defeated in his bid to be re-elected by Ciro Davis Rodriguez, a former Democratic congressman, in a special election held on December 12, 2006. His term ended on January 3, 2007 when the 110th Congress officially began.
Video Henry Bonilla
Roots di San Antonio
Bonilla was born in San Antonio, the son of Anita Arellano and Enrique A. Bonilla. When she was younger she joined the TRIO Search Talent Study Program, which provided academic support and student awareness activities to the students. He graduated from San Antonio High School in 1972 and received a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin in 1976. Before entering politics, he was a television news executive at CBS San Antonio affiliate, KENS-TV. His ex-wife Deborah Knapp (born December 1, 1954), continues as anchor at the station. He has married former Sheryl White Shelby (born 1959).
Maps Henry Bonilla
Careers of Congress
In March 1992, Bonilla won the 23rd Republican nomination for a seat in the US House of Representatives (map). The 23rd has been a Democratic district since its formation in 1967, but Bonilla accused the ruling Albert G. Bustamante of four times by ignoring the needs of his constituents, engaging in the Bank's banking scandal by writing 30 "check calientes" at House Bank, and taking an excessive banquet and questionable abroad.
Bonilla got unintentional help from the state legislature, who left the Western Republic area in San Antonio in the 23rd century while carving out the 28th District just out of many of the 23rd territories. Despite spending $ 758,453 to $ 594,032 and being in Bill Clinton's districts the same year, Bonilla won by 21 points, 59 to 38 percent, the biggest margin of loss for the year's incumbent.
In March 1999, Governor George W. Bush named Bonilla the only Texan on his presidential exploration committee. Bonilla often represents Bush in the national news program and as a substitute speaker. Though 23 has a slight slim Democrat, Bonilla developed a very conservative ballot record. In large part due to his popularity in San Antonio, he did not face a credible challenge until 2002, when Democrat Henry Cuellar, a former Texas foreign minister, came in two points to topple him.
Bonilla announced that he might run in 2006 for the United States Senate seat held by fellow Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison if he ran for governor in 2006 against ruling president Rick Perry. However, Hutchison decided to run for another term in the Senate.
American Dream PAC
When Bonilla took over in 1999 from an independent political fund called the American Dream PAC, he insisted that his mission was to "provide significant direct financial assistance to first-tier minority GOP candidates". However, between 1999 and the end of 2003, only $ 48,750 (or 8.9 percent) of the $ 547,000 received by PAC, had entered the search for a minority office, while more than $ 100,000 had been transferred to the organization or to the Republican Party.
Bonilla defended her PAC record of helping minority candidates, saying, "We did the best we could." Altogether, 27 minority office seekers, predominantly Latin American, received money, mostly small donations. But Bonilla says it is sometimes difficult to find "good and solid minority candidates to spend on funds". In July 2003, the PAC treasurer pleaded guilty to embezzling $ 119,021 between 1999 and 2003 and was sentenced to 15 months in prison. Thefts were not found until nearly four years after they started. "It was a black mark on my judgment," Bonilla said in a 2004 interview.
2003 redistricting
Bonilla was priming for a rematch against Cuellar in 2004, but in 2003, a redistricting mid-decade controversial by the Texas legislature, the result of an effort by US House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, removed most of Laredo, which had become one of the 23 core since its formation, to the 28th district. Instead, Bonilla received some Republican San Antonio suburbs previously located in District 21 nearby, all convincing him for a seventh term. Meanwhile, Cuellar came in and won the 2004 grand final against 28th-ranked Ciro Rodriguez's vice-president and later won the election.
Bonilla donated money from the American Dream PAC to redistricting efforts.
Immediately after the 2004 elections, Bonilla was criticized when he proposed changes to procedural rules that would allow DPR leaders to maintain their leadership positions despite being charged by state juries.
The proposal will allow Tom DeLay to remain a Majority Leader despite being indicted by Travis district attorney's office for possible campaign fund violations. Many constituencies believe that Bonilla has publicly avenged DeLay's political merit for withdrawing the 23rd District.
On June 29, 2006, the US Supreme Court, with Justice Anthony Kennedy leading, reigned in Latin American League v. Perry that the district of Bonilla violated the Civil Rights Act, even though the judges were enforced. mostly redistricting in 2003. The court stated that the Texas legislature violated Latin voter rights when it cut off most of Laredo from the 23rd. Even though the 23th-centric configured is still 55 percent Latino, only 46 percent of the district-age voter population is Latino.
The judge argued that as a result, the new district did not have enough Latin to be accepted under the Select Right Act. Since the legislature has not created an acceptable Latin-majority district (the intended replacement, Austin-to-McAllen 25th, is not considered compact enough), 23 reconfigured ones must also be hit. Due to the size of the 23rd, the decision effectively forces the reproduction of almost every district from El Paso to San Antonio. The precedent dictates that a new map should be issued before the November election.
The court issued a new line on 7 August. This moved all Laredos out of the 23rd and entered the 28th, but nevertheless made the district more friendly to the Democrats by increasing its Latin population to 65 percent. In particular, Bonilla lost much of the Republican territory she inherited in redistricting in 2003. At the same time, she took much of south south of the South San Antonio Democrats.
Bonilla grew up in this area, which has become part of the 23rd from 1967-93. The court ordered all major parties on Election Day, with runoff in December if no candidate won 50 percent of the vote. The new maps include Rodriguez's home and many of his former headquarters, and he announced that he would fight Bonilla in November. Federal Election Commission notes show Bonilla pays law firm Latham & amp; Watkins $ 100,000 in 2006, from his campaign fund, to state that the district boundary is constitutional. In February, the company proposed the amicus brief before the Supreme Court to support the redistricting plan.
Defeat in 2006
On Nov. 7, Bonilla faces six Democrats, including Ciro Rodriguez and Vietnam War veteran Rick Bolanos in the special election of all candidates required by court decisions on redistricting (see above). The ballots are also one independent. Bolanos has won the Prime Democrats earlier this year.
In the first special election, Bonilla won 48 percent of the vote for Rodriguez 20 percent. Since no one gets a majority, there is an abundance between two former colleagues. According to unofficial results of the Texas Foreign Minister [2], Rodriguez won the overwhelming 54% of the vote to Bonilla 46%. Bonilla is the first Republican petroleum in Texas to be ousted by a Democrat in 10 years, since Nick Lampson's defeat of Steve Stockman in the 1996 runoff election. Interestingly, Lampson also returned to Congress in 2006 after being defeated for re-election in 2004, as Rodriguez in other districts. Bonilla said in her nightly defeat interview that her loss was partly a result of the district change. He runs a controversial ad that claims that Rodriguez took funds from terrorists, whose media outlets are called "bold claims". He then apologized to the press for everyone who was offended, but stood next to his statement.
However, a large number of Hispanics and Latins, most of whom live in District 23, have expressed hatred against Bonilla by claiming that he has lost touch with minority needs and concerns. His reputation even gave him the nickname "Henry Vanilla", as some Hispanics claimed that Bonilla could no longer relate to his culture. Within a year of war, illegal immigration issues, and the proposed border fence, Latin left the Republican strongholds in large numbers.
Failed nomination as Ambassador
After his term in office ended, Bonilla was nominated to become a Permanent Representative of the United States to the Organization of American States, with the rank of Ambassador.
After two months of no action by the Senate, Bonilla asked US President George W. Bush to withdraw his candidacy. After the withdrawal of his ambassador's nomination, Bonilla joined the Washington-based The Normandy Group.
Considerations for Trump Cabinets
In December 2016, Bonilla and two other Texas Republics, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and Miller's predecessor at the office, Susan Combs, were interviewed for the position of the US Secretary of Agriculture.
See also
- Hispanic List and Latin America in the United States Congress
References
External links
- Bonilla campaign site
- Biography at Directory of Congressional Biographies of the United States
- Appearance in C-SPAN
- Redistrict Settings May Affect November Selection, Associated Press
- Latino Election Takes Victory to Texas Democrats
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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