Tom Sanchez Challenges Incumbent Mark Veasey to Be First Latino US Rep From North Texas

Tom Sanchez is challenging Democratic incumbent Mark Veasey in a bid to become the first Latino U.S. Representative from the North Texas area.

One interesting aspect of this race, which differentiates it from many Latino campaigns, is that Sanchez has switched parties before taking on the freshman congressman from Fort Worth in the 33rd congressional district.

While the incumbent is usually expected to have a large advantage in any election, the demographics of the constituency could play into Sanchez's favor. The district is heavily Hispanic. It is also heavily Democratic, so the winner of next week's primary will be the front-runner going into the general election.

Veasey is African-American, and he faced a formidable Hispanic challenger in the 2012 election as well with former Dallas city councilman Domingo Garcia. Beginning in 1988, Garcia served for eight years on the Democratic National Committee, where he served on the executive committee and was the Latino caucus chairperson. According to Roll Call, he also spent $2 million on his campaign for the seat.

According to the Dallas Morning News, Sanchez has recently spent time on the Republican side of the aisle, and even donated money to Republican candidates as recently as 2012. But Sanchez says he has left his days with the GOP behind him. He also noted that he has also supported Democratic candidates in the past, with both votes and campaign contributions.

"In my case, it all turns on the issue of who is going to be the least harmful to this constituency at this point," Sanchez told the DMN. "Republicans hate Mexican-Americans, so there was no place for me there."

Sanchez is not alone in that sentiment. Bexar County Court at Law 11 Judge Carlo Ray announced in October that he too was leaving the Republican Party for many of the same reasons, and immigration reform is high on the list of priorities for Sanchez.

"In Texas, we immunize our cattle better than we treat some undocumented immigrants," he wrote in an op-ed for the DMN.

"During the president's first five years in office - and in particular the first two with large Democratic majorities in both chambers of Congress - no legislative action on immigration whatsoever has advanced. Instead, needed health care reforms were passed that ensured that no undocumented immigrant could ever purchase health insurance through the government exchanges."