By Joel Langton
The 830 Times
Congressman Tony Gonzales had a whirlwind visit through Brackettville and Del Rio meeting hundreds of voters and helping hand out wings to 23 new Air Force pilots Friday.
Most of the visits to businesses were called town halls, Michael Blair, district director said. They consisted of typically 15- to 30-minute stops at homes and businesses where he met with people and took questions.
If he’s going to keep this pace up throughout his tenure, it will be difficult as he represents one of the largest congressional districts and the 23rd Congressional District is bigger than many states. He’s almost at the halfway point of his two-year term.
On Friday, he focused on Kinney and Val Verde counties.
He stopped at Rio Grande Electric in Brackettville, then went to speak at Laughlin’s graduation. After that, his stops included several homes, San Antonio Shoes, Home Depot and Toyota of Del Rio.
At his last stop, he shared with waiting employees, “I just wanted to stop and chat with you. Get your perspective of what’s going on. I am your Congressman and I want to be more than somebody you see on television.”
For about 15 minutes, he sat in the dealership’s conference room and took a number of questions from employees.
Talking to Dwayne Felton, the dealership’s service manager, the visit was a success.
“I’m glad you’re coming out to the small towns,” Felton said. “I’ve never met a congressman before.”
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Contact the author at joelalangton@gmail.com
