Veronica Escobar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Veronica Escobar
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Official portrait, 2019
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| Co-Chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2023 – January 3, 2025 Serving with Dean Phillips (2023), Lori Trahan, and Lauren Underwood
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| Leader | Hakeem Jeffries |
| Preceded by | Debbie Dingell Matt Cartwright Ted Lieu |
| Succeeded by | Maxwell Frost |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 16th district |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Beto O'Rourke |
| County Judge of El Paso County | |
| In office January 1, 2011 – October 10, 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Anthony Cobos |
| Succeeded by | Ruben Vogt |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 15, 1969 El Paso, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Michael Pleters |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Texas, El Paso (BA) New York University (MA) |
| Website | |
Veronica Escobar (born September 15, 1969) is an American politician. She serves as a U.S. Representative for the 16th district of Texas. This district is located in El Paso. She has held this position since 2019.
Escobar is a member of the Democratic Party. Before becoming a U.S. Representative, she worked in local government. She was an El Paso County commissioner from 2007 to 2011. She then served as the El Paso county judge from 2011 until 2017.
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Early Life and Education
Veronica Escobar was born in El Paso, Texas, in 1969. She grew up on her family's dairy farm with her parents and four brothers.
She attended Loretto Academy and Burges High School. Later, she earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). She also received her master's degree from New York University.
Early Political Career
Before entering politics, Escobar worked as a leader for a nonprofit organization. She also served as the communications director for Raymond Caballero when he was the mayor of El Paso.
After Caballero's term, Escobar and some friends decided to get involved in public service. They wanted to improve city planning and create more skilled jobs. They also aimed to end corruption in city leadership.
In 2006, Escobar was elected as an El Paso County Commissioner. In 2010, she became the El Paso County Judge. Her friends also won their elections. They were known as "The Progressives." Escobar also taught English and Chicano literature at UTEP and El Paso Community College.
U.S. House of Representatives
Becoming a Representative
In 2017, Escobar left her role as county judge to run for the U.S. House of Representatives. She wanted to represent Texas's 16th district. This seat was open because Beto O'Rourke was not running again. The 16th district is mostly Hispanic and strongly Democratic. This meant that the winner of the Democratic primary election would likely win the main election.
Escobar won the Democratic primary with 61% of the votes. In June 2018, she and Beto O'Rourke protested in Tornillo, Texas. They were speaking out against a policy that separated immigrant children from their families. Tornillo is close to the Rio Grande, which is the border between the U.S. and Mexico. The government had set up a "tent-city" in Tornillo to hold separated children.
On November 6, 2018, Escobar won the general election. She defeated Republican Rick Seeberger. She became the first woman to represent the 16th district. Veronica Escobar and Sylvia Garcia also became the first Latina congresswomen from Texas.
Her Work in Congress
In November 2019, her fellow representatives chose Escobar as a freshman class representative. This role helps new members of Congress.
In February 2020, Escobar gave the Spanish-language response to the President's State of the Union Address. In her speech, she talked about important topics like healthcare and immigration. She also spoke about the 2019 mass shooting in El Paso.
Committees and Groups
As a U.S. Representative, Veronica Escobar works on different committees. These groups focus on specific areas of government.
- Committee on Armed Services: This committee deals with military matters.
- Committee on the Judiciary: This committee handles laws and justice.
She is also part of several groups called caucuses:
- Congressional Hispanic Caucus: A group for Hispanic members of Congress.
- Congressional Progressive Caucus: A group focused on progressive policies.
- New Democrat Coalition: A group of moderate Democrats.
In 2024, Escobar was one of the four chairs for the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. This is a big event where the Democratic Party officially chooses its presidential candidate.
Political Views
Veronica Escobar voted to support Israel after the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. She has often voted in agreement with President Joe Biden's positions.
Personal Life
Veronica Escobar is married to Michael Pleters. They have two children together.
See also
In Spanish: Veronica Escobar para niños
- List of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States Congress
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
