STARR COUNTY, Texas – The 2024 election is in the rearview mirror, but the issues that dominated conversations are still on top of the mind. That’s why KSAT decided to continue its series, “Your Voice, South Texas.”
Before the election, the series had eight episodes under its belt, each focusing on people in specific regions of South Texas, such as Uvalde, Seguin, Pleasanton, New Braunfels, La Vernia, Kerrville, Boerne, and Castroville.
During each episode, KSAT spoke with residents across the political spectrum about the issues concerning them before the election. Many of them said border security, inflation and crime were their top priorities.
The latest episode brings us to Starr County, a former Democratic stronghold that flipped from blue to red in the presidential election for the first time in over a century.
Of the 14 state counties bordering Mexico, 12 of them went for President-elect Donald Trump. Starr County is among the dozen. Trump won 57% of the vote in the border county, while Kamala Harris received only 41% support. In 2016, Democrat Hillary Clinton beat Trump in Starr County by 60%.
According to the 2020 U.S. Census, 65,920 people live in Starr County.
KSAT traveled to the county to speak with people about their vote and what they hope to see change after Trump takes office on Jan. 20.
KSAT met with two people who are well-known in Starr County and hold opposing views. Patricio Hernandez, 74, is a lifelong Democrat and a retired border patrol agent. Ross Barrera, 59, is a Republican who ran for mayor of Rio Grande City.
Hernandez said he was “surprised” by Trump’s sweeping victory in Starr County last month. However, Barrera felt differently.
“Trump was very popular, and I believe that the message from the Democrat candidate wasn’t really clear,” said Barrera.
Barrera also thinks three factors played a role in the Republican’s victory.
“Inflation was a big deal. The second one was oil and gas. And then the other one was, of course, the immigration issue,” said Barrera.
Hernandez said that’s one of the issues that will impact Starr County residents the most.
“They’re going to be affected in some fashion because, as Hispanics here in the area, many of them probably have been here less than ten years or so. They still have part of their family that’s not legal here, and a lot of family in Mexico. And if this massive immigration deportation [plan] comes through, a lot of these families are going to be affected, unfortunately,” said Hernandez.
Nevertheless, both Hernandez and Barrera hope that despite the changes, people continue to work together.
“We’re going to disagree on politics, but that doesn’t mean we cannot come in and have conversations,” said Barrera.