San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
S.A. Democrat hoping for rematch in Texas House race she lost in 2018
San Antonio Democrat Celina Montoya will again challenge Republican state Rep. Steve Allison in a state legislative district on the North Side, setting up a possible rematch for a seat Democrats are targeting in their quest to win back the Texas House.
When she ran two years ago, Montoya, now 35, was the first Democrat to compete in the district since 2000. She said that meant her campaign had to essentially start from scratch, identifying a base of voters in an area long ignored by progressive hopefuls.
Despite a loss by 8.4 percentage points, Montoya said her campaign’s efforts proved productive, as the district is seen as competitive heading into 2020.
“We were able to demonstrate that District 121 is absolutely in play,” she said.
The repeat candidate still faces an uphill climb in the conservative-leaning area, but Democrats will have to win races like this one if they want to regain a foothold in state government for the first time since 2002.
The party needs to flip nine seats to win a majority, and Allison is No. 9 on the Texas Democratic Party’s list of targets. While the party has cast a wide net, it’s focusing on districts like this one, where Beto O’Rourke gleaned more votes than incumbent GOP Sen. Ted Cruz in last year’s midterm elections.
“Beto actually did carry that district,” said Cliff Walker, executive director of the Texas Democratic Party. “We know we can flip the state House because Beto carried the state House in 2018.”
District 121, home to former GOP House Speaker Joe Straus, covers much of an area between U.S. 281 and Interstate 35, including Alamo Heights. Voters in the district are typically wealthier and more conservative than elsewhere in San Antonio, though the midterms exposed a leftward tilt that Democrats hope will expand in 2020.
The district preferred O’Rourke to Cruz by a razor-thin margin of 36,782 votes to 36,520. Democrats were also within striking distance in the district in races for lieutenant governor, where they fell 3.87 percentage points short, and attorney general, where they lost by less than 1 point.
Other Democrats could join the race as well, forcing Montoya into a primary. One other hopeful, Rebecca Moyer DeFelice, has filed a treasurer appointment with the state, though her party affiliation is unclear.
Allison, a mild-mannered and moderate business attorney, could also face an opponent from the right. The Republican was one of 10 members targeted by House Speaker Dennis Bonnen in a private meeting with Michael Quinn Sullivan, CEO of tea party-aligned Empower Texans.
Bonnen has disputed naming targets and called on Sullivan, who has said he secretly recorded the meeting, to release that recording in its entirety. On Tuesday, Bonnen apologized to House members for saying “terrible things” in the meeting.
In a statement, Allison said he had heard the entire recording, calling it “quite disturbing.” He said his confidence in Bonnen and Rep. Dustin Burrows, who was also in the meeting, “has been irreparably damaged by their own inexplicable and arrogant actions.” He urged an investigation and possible action “by the (Republican) Caucus, the House, or others.”
Last year, Allison fended off right-wing candidate Matt Beebe in a Republican primary runoff before defeating Montoya for the seat.
Allison didn’t comment on Montoya’s candidacy.
Montoya, who co-founded the education nonprofit Literacy San Antonio and previously managed governmental affairs for Alamo Fireworks, has stayed involved in politics since her first race. She left Alamo Fireworks, a family company, to join AXR Strategies with her former campaign manager, Demonte Alexander.
Montoya then managed political newcomer Coda Rayo-Garza’s legislative campaign in a District 125 special election this year. Rayo-Garza was unexpectedly competitive in that abbreviated race, missing a runoff by 28 votes.