Tony Vargas

Last updated

Lauren Micek
​
(m. 2016)​
Tony Vargas
Tony Vargas, Candidate for Neb. Legislature (26881257415) (cropped).jpg
Vice Chair of the Executive Board of the Nebraska Legislature
In office
January 9, 2019 –January 4, 2023
Children2
Education University of Rochester (BA)
Pace University (MS)
Website Campaign website

Anthony Vargas (born September 2, 1984) is an American politician and former educator who served as a member of the Nebraska Legislature from 2017 to 2025. Vargas represented the 7th district, which covers all of downtown Omaha and much of southeastern Omaha.

Contents

Vargas ran for Congress in Nebraska's 2nd congressional district in both 2022 and 2024, losing both times to incumbent Republican Don Bacon.

Early life and education

Vargas was born to Antonio and Lidia Vargas in Queens, New York City, who were originally from Peru.[ citation needed ] He has two older brothers [1] He is a graduate of the University of Rochester and received a Master of Science in education from Pace University. [2]

Career

Vargas is a former public school teacher. He also served as an AmeriCorps fellow through Teach for America. [3] He was appointed to the Omaha Public Schools Board in 2013, following the resignation of a board member. [4]

Nebraska Legislature

In 2016 he ran for the Legislature against incumbent senator Nicole Fox. Fox, a Republican, finished third in the nonpartisan primary, which saw Vargas and former senator John Synowiecki advance to the general election. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] Vargas defeated Synowiecki in the general election with nearly 62% of the vote. He was the first Hispanic Democrat elected to the Nebraska legislature. [10]

Committees

Vargas has served on the Appropriations Committee. [11] [ failed verification ] In 2021, Vargas was re-elected to the position of vice chair of the executive board. [12] [ better source needed ] He is on the Legislature's Planning Committee. [13]

COVID-19 pandemic

On July 29, 2020, Vargas attempted to suspend the Nebraska legislature's regular rules of order to introduce a bill that would enforce Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines in meatpacking plants to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The motion failed to pass. [14]

U.S. House campaigns

2022

In July 2021, Vargas announced his candidacy for Nebraska's 2nd congressional district in the 2022 election. [15] He won the Democratic primary on May 10, 2022, but lost the general election to Republican incumbent Don Bacon in November by 2.6% (5,856 votes). [16]

2024

In July 2023, Vargas announced his candidacy for Nebraska's 2nd congressional district in the 2024 election. [17]

Political positions

In February 2024, Vargas introduced Legislative Bill 1355. [18] The bill would provide $4 million a year from the Nebraska Opioid Recovery Fund to fund opioid treatment and overdose response programs. [19]

In March 2024, Vargas and Senator Wendy DeBoer introduced two bills focused on housing affordability. [20]

Vargas wants to codify abortion rights into federal law. [21] [22]

Vargas signed the U.S. Term Limits pledge. [23] [ better source needed ]

Personal life

Vargas is Catholic and resides in South Omaha, Nebraska, with his wife, Lauren, who is a special education teacher. They moved to Nebraska in 2012 after she was accepted into Creighton University School of Law.[ citation needed ] They have two children. [24]

His father, Virgilio Antonio Vargas, died on April 29, 2020, from COVID-19 at the beginning of the global pandemic. [25]

Electoral history

2016

Nebraska Legislature District 7 Primary Election, 2016 [26]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Tony Vargas 1,220 45.35
Nonpartisan John Synowiecki 745 27.70
Republican Nicole Fox (incumbent)72526.95
Total votes2,690 100.00
Nebraska Legislature District 7 General Election, 2016 [27]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Tony Vargas 5,244 61.75
Nonpartisan John Synowiecki 3,24838.25
Total votes8,492 100.00

2020

Nebraska's 7th Legislative District Election, 2020
Primary election
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Tony Vargas (incumbent) 3,281 81.8
Republican Jorge Sotolongo 731 18.1
Total votes100.0
General election
Democratic Tony Vargas (incumbent) 7,386 77.9
Republican Jorge Sotolongo2,09822.1
Total votes100.0
Democratic hold

2022

Nebraska's 2nd congressional district, 2022
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Don Bacon (incumbent) 112,663 51.3
Democratic Tony Vargas106,80748.6
Total votes219,470 100.0
Republican hold

2024

Nebraska's 2nd congressional district, 2024 [28]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Don Bacon (incumbent) 160,198 50.9
Democratic Tony Vargas 154,36949.1
Total votes314,567 100.0
Republican hold

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pete Ricketts</span> American politician (born 1964)

John Peter Ricketts is an American businessman and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Nebraska since 2023. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 40th governor of Nebraska from 2015 to 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deb Fischer</span> American politician (born 1951)

Debra Lynelle Fischer is an American politician and former educator serving as the senior United States senator from Nebraska, a seat she has held since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Fischer is the third woman to represent Nebraska in the U.S. Senate and the first to be reelected.

John Synowiecki is an American politician who is a former member of the Nebraska Legislature. He was also a program director for governmental relations for Catholic Charities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Ashford</span> American politician (1949–2022)

John Bradley Ashford was an American politician who served in the Nebraska Legislature and the United States House of Representatives from Nebraska's 2nd congressional district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Krist</span> American politician

Robert J. Krist is an American politician who served as the Nebraska State Senator from the 10th district from 2009 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party until 2017, his district includes Bennington and part of Omaha. Krist joined the Democratic Party in 2018; he was its nominee for Governor of Nebraska in the 2018 election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Sasse</span> American academic administrator and politician (born 1972)

Benjamin Eric Sasse is an American politician and former academic administrator who represented Nebraska in the United States Senate from 2015 to 2023. A member of the Republican Party, he also served as the president of the University of Florida from 2023 to 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Bacon</span> American politician (born 1963)

Donald John Bacon is an American politician and retired military officer serving as the U.S. representative for Nebraska's 2nd congressional district since 2017. Before holding public office, he was a United States Air Force officer, retiring as brigadier general with time as wing commander at Ramstein Air Base, Germany and Offutt Air Force Base south of Omaha, Nebraska, prior to his retirement from the military in 2014. His district includes all of Omaha and the areas surrounding the Offutt base.

Nicole Fox is a politician from the state of Nebraska in the Midwestern United States. She is a member of the Republican Party. In 2015, she was appointed to fill a vacant seat in the Nebraska Legislature, representing a district in downtown and southern Omaha. In 2016, she sought election to the seat and came in third in the nonpartisan primary and thus failed to advance to the general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Nebraska gubernatorial election</span>

The 2018 Nebraska gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018, to elect the governor of Nebraska, concurrently with the election of Nebraska's Class I U.S. Senate seat, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various Nebraska and local elections. Incumbent Republican governor Pete Ricketts won re-election to a second term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Nebraska elections</span>

A general election was held in the U.S. state of Nebraska on November 6, 2018. All of Nebraska's executive officers were up for election as well as a United States Senate seat, and all of Nebraska's three seats in the United States House of Representatives.

Lynne Walz is a former Nebraska state senator who served in the Nebraska Legislature from 2017 to 2025. She represented District 15 which includes Fremont, Nebraska, and surrounding areas. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megan Hunt (politician)</span> American politician from Nebraska

Megan Catherine Hunt is an American entrepreneur and politician serving as a member of the Nebraska Legislature. Hunt represents the 8th legislative district in Omaha, consisting of the midtown neighborhoods of Dundee, Benson, and Keystone. She succeeded term-limited Nebraska State Senator Burke Harr. She identifies as bisexual, and was the first openly LGBT person elected to the state legislature of Nebraska, as well as the first woman to represent the 8th district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Nebraska</span>

The 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Nebraska was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the three U.S. representatives from the state of Nebraska, one from each of the state's three congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julie Slama</span> Nebraskan state senator

Julie Slama is an American politician who served in the Nebraska Legislature representing the 1st district from 2019 to 2025.

Mike McDonnell is an American politician who served in the Nebraska Legislature from 2017 to 2025, representing the 5th district. He was a Democrat before switching to the Republican Party in 2024 after being censured by the Nebraska Democratic Party for voting for anti-abortion legislation and a ban on transgender medical procedures for those under the age of 18.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Nebraska gubernatorial election</span>

The 2022 Nebraska gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 2022, to elect the next governor of Nebraska. Incumbent Republican governor Pete Ricketts was term-limited and unable to seek a third term. In the general election, Republican Jim Pillen won the gubernatorial election by a 23-point margin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Nebraska</span>

The 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Nebraska were held on November 8, 2022, to elect the three U.S. representatives from the state of Nebraska, one from each of the state's three congressional districts. The elections coincided with the Nebraska gubernatorial election, as well as other elections to the U.S. House of Representatives, elections to the U.S. Senate, and various state and local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Nebraska's 1st congressional district special election</span>

The 2022 Nebraska's 1st congressional district special election, which was held on June 28, 2022, was triggered when Republican representative Jeff Fortenberry resigned on March 31, having been convicted of lying to the FBI about campaign contributions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 United States House of Representatives elections in Nebraska</span>

The 2024 United States House of Representatives elections in Nebraska were held on November 5, 2024, to elect the three U.S. representatives from the State of Nebraska, one from each of the state's congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2024 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate, and various state and local elections. The Primary elections were held on May 14, 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Nebraska Legislature election</span>

The 2024 Nebraska State Legislature elections took place as part of the biennial United States elections. Nebraska voters elected state senators for the 25 odd-numbered seats of the 49 legislative districts in the Nebraska Unicameral. State senators serve four-year terms in the Nebraska Legislature. All elections are technically non-partisan in the State Legislature; therefore, any parties listed are from candidates' websites and official party endorsement lists. Candidates all appear on the ballot as nonpartisan. Senators are limited to two consecutive terms, after which they must wait four years before running again.

References

  1. ↑ Martin, Brent (September 6, 2017). "Sen. Vargas says fight for DACA program is personal (AUDIO)". Nebraska Radio Network. Archived from the original on September 24, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Vote Smart | Facts For All". Vote Smart.
  3. ↑ "Senator Vargas of Omaha Receives National Leadership Award from America's Service Commissions". ServeNebraska. September 25, 2020. Archived from the original on September 5, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  4. ↑ Duffy, Erin (October 28, 2013). "New OPS board member Anthony Vargas wastes no time in getting down to business". Omaha World-Herald. Archived from the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
  5. ↑ Walton, Don (July 6, 2016). "Tony Vargas may be Nebraska's Latino legislative voice". Lincoln Journal Star . Archived from the original on September 24, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
  6. ↑ Knapp, Fred (May 4, 2016). "South Omaha Race Shows Jockeying For Legislature". Nebraska Educational Telecommunications . Retrieved September 23, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Synowiecki will try to regain South Omaha seat in Nebraska Legislature". Omaha World-Herald . May 18, 2015. Archived from the original on July 29, 2018. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
  8. ↑ Nohr, Emily (May 20, 2016). "Race between Synowiecki, Fox not close enough for automatic recount". Omaha World-Herald . Archived from the original on June 28, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
  9. ↑ Walton, John (November 11, 2015). "New senator stakes out independent ground". Lincoln Journal-Star . Archived from the original on September 24, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
  10. ↑ Bernal, Rafael (September 30, 2021). "Top Latino group endorses Hispanic for Nebraska House race". The Hill. Archived from the original on September 5, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  11. ↑ "About Committee « Legislature's Planning Committee". news.legislature.ne.gov. Archived from the original on September 5, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Nebraska state senators elect leaders for two-year legislative session". Platte Institute. January 6, 2021. Archived from the original on September 5, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Legislature's Planning Committee". news.legislature.ne.gov. Archived from the original on September 5, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Tony Vargas in Nebraska: The human cost of political inaction on Covid". BBC News. October 2, 2020. Archived from the original on August 11, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  15. ↑ Walton, Don (July 13, 2021). "Sen. Tony Vargas will seek metro Omaha House seat". JournalStar.com. Archived from the original on July 13, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  16. ↑ Nitcher, Emily (May 10, 2022). "Democrat Vargas to face Republican Bacon in 2nd District general election". Omaha World-Herald. Archived from the original on May 11, 2022. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  17. ↑ Sanderford, Aaron (July 5, 2023). "State Sen. Tony Vargas announces 2024 run at Rep. Don Bacon in Nebraska's 2nd District". Nebraska Examiner. Archived from the original on July 5, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  18. ↑ Perez, Jessica (February 22, 2024). "'Getting to the root causes': Opioid treatment and prevention bill advances past committee". KETV. Archived from the original on March 6, 2024. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  19. ↑ Hammel, Paul (February 22, 2024). "Bill to prevent opioid overdose deaths in Nebraska passes initial hurdle". Nebraska Examiner. Archived from the original on February 23, 2024.
  20. ↑ Lanier, Kendall (March 14, 2024). "Nebraska senators rally to advocate for affordable housing bills". 1011 Now. Archived from the original on March 14, 2024. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  21. ↑ Fraser, Quanecia (October 8, 2024). "'We're doing everything we can ... to earn everybody's vote': Tony Vargas on his second run for congress". KETV. Archived from the original on October 10, 2024. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  22. ↑ "Nebraska Reacts to Supreme Court Decision Overturning Roe v. Wade". Nebraska Public Media. Archived from the original on August 18, 2022. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  23. ↑ Velasco, Donna (January 10, 2024). "Tony Vargas Pledges to Support Term Limits on Congress". U.S. Term Limits. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  24. ↑ "Tony Vargas' Biography". Project VoteSmart. Archived from the original on September 24, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
  25. ↑ Burbach, Christopher (July 15, 2020). "Coronavirus took his father's life. State Sen. Tony Vargas shares his pain to help others". JournalStar.com. Archived from the original on September 5, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  26. ↑ "NE Legislature 07 - Primary 2016". Our Campaigns. Archived from the original on September 24, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
  27. ↑ "NE Legislature 07 2016". Our Campaigns. Archived from the original on September 24, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
  28. ↑ "Unofficial Results: General Election - November 5, 2024". electionresults.nebraska.gov. Nebraska Secretary of State. Archived from the original on January 31, 2025. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
Nebraska Legislature
Preceded by Vice Chair of the Executive Board of the Nebraska Legislature
2019–2023		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.