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Blanca Vela
Blanca Sanchez Vela (May 27, 1936 – February 19, 2014) was an American politician and matriarch of one of the most prominent families in Brownsville, Texas.[1] Vela, who served as the Mayor of Brownsville from 1999 until 2003, was the city's first female mayor.[1][2] She remains the only woman to hold the mayoral office to date.[1][3] Vela was married to the late United States federal judge Filemon Vela Sr., while her three children include U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela Jr. (D-Texas).[1] Early life and educationVela was born Blanca Sanchez in Harlingen, Texas, on May 27, 1936.[4] Her parents, Luis M. Sanchez and Maria R. "Cuca" Sanchez, were Mexican immigrants who moved to the United States from Linares, Nuevo León, and Zacatecas, respectively, when both were teenagers.[4] They first met each other in Harlingen.[4] Her father worked for the Missouri Pacific Railroad while her mother worked as a homemaker.[4] Blanca Sanchez, who was the eldest of her parents' nine children, was raised in Harlingen.[4] She married her husband, Filemon Vela, Sr., in 1962.[4] He was later appointed a U.S. federal judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. The couple had three children: Filemon Vela, Jr., Rafael (Ralph), and Sylvia.[4] Vela began her college career by taking the bus from Harlingen to Brownsville to attend Texas Southmost College, a community college. She later earned both her bachelor's degree and a master's degree.[4][5] CareerPublic servicePrior to her election as mayor in 1999, Vela served on the Brownsville Public Utilities Board (PUB), including a stint as the board's chairperson from 1995 until July 1998.[3][4][6] She and Betty Dodd co-founded of the Brownsville Public Library Foundation in 1994.[3][4][6] Blanca Vela also became the first woman to hold a seat on the Brownsville National Bank's board of directors.[4] Mayor of BrownsvilleVela announced her candidacy for Mayor on August 28, 1998, as a challenger to incumbent Mayor Henry Gonzalez, who was seeking re-election for a third term.[6] She defeated Gonzalez in the city's mayoral election on May 1, 1999.[5][7] Vela garnered 3,003 votes (56%), while Gonzalez placed second with 2,379 votes (44%).[7] On January 7, 2003, Mayor Blanca Vela announced that she would not seek re-election for a second term in a speech in front of the Market Square fountain.[8][9] Her departure set off a competitive 2003 mayoral campaign between city commissioner Eddie Treviño and former Mayor Henry Gonzalez.[8] Treviño and Gonzalez placed first and second (out of four candidates) in the election held on May 3, 2003, which qualified them for the runoff.[10] In the runoff election held on June 7, 2003, Treviño won 4,377 votes (64.13%), defeating Gonzalez, who earned 2,448 votes (35.86%) to succeed Vela as mayor.[11] Vela left office on June 10, 2003.[12] Vela issued as statement thanking her family and the citizens of the city as her last act in office.[12] In a speech following his oath of office on the same day, her successor, Mayor Eddie Treviño Jr., thanked Vela for her service as his first act as mayor.[12] Vela's official portrait, which was hung in commission chambers, was also unveiled on June 10.[12] Vela died of natural causes at her home in Brownsville on February 16, 2014, at the age of 78.[1][2] She was survived by her three children, Sylvia, Ralph, and U.S. Congressman Filemon Vela Jr.[3] Her husband, Judge Filemon Vela, Sr., died on April 13, 2004.[13] References
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