December 21, 2018 • Local News
Two candidates emerge to replace Joe Pickett in Texas House: Art Fierro, Michiel Noe
AUSTIN — Two candidates have emerged in the race to replace state Rep. Joe Pickett, who will step down from his post on Jan. 4: Art Fierro, chairman of the El Paso Community College board, and Dr. Michiel Noe, who is finishing his last term as a city representative.
Pickett, who is the longest serving El Paso lawmaker at the statehouse, surprised many of his colleagues over the weekend when he announced that he will step down from his position on Jan. 4 to deal with health issues stemming from a 2016 cancer diagnosis.
Gov. Greg Abbott has 20 days from Pickett's announcement to call for a special election.
"I am going to throw my hat in the ring," Fierro said in an interview Tuesday morning. "I will be a great representative and a partner to our delegation in their efforts to continue to improve our community and let the rest of Texas see how wonderful El Paso is."
Noe, who works as an OB-GYN, announced his intentions to run for the seat on Tuesday night.
"Joe Pickett is a friend of mine and I've always been an admirer of his," he said in an interview. "When he broke the news that he would have to resign, it was kind of heartbreaking, but it left a spot open that would be empty. and with the background that I have, I will hopefully just transition into representing the district."
Noe has served as a city representative for eight years, with his final term set to end in January, when incoming representative Isabel Salcido is sworn-in.
Pickett was re-elected to his seat in November, which means a special election must be called for the seat to allow a new representative to take his place.
Abbott has yet to call a special election for the seat, which represents a large section of the East Side and part of Northeast El Paso.
Special elections typically fall on the next uniform election date — the first Saturday in May or the first Tuesday in November — but if a Texas House seat is vacated during the 60 days leading up to a legislative session, Abbott can expedite the election to ensure the seat does not remain empty.
Pickett will leave his seat four days before the start of the next legislative session.
Fierro, who has served as chairman of the EPCC board for 10 years, said his experience there gives him the right background and experience to serve in the statehouse.
"There will be a learning curve, absolutely, but I have the experience and abilities to hit the ground running and to help keep District 79 running in a positive direction," he said.
For Fierro, improving access to higher education and securing funding for higher education institutions would be a key focus if he served in the Legislature. He also pointed to healthcare as a key concern.
"One thing we have to address as representatives is the budget when it comes to healthcare," he said. "Healthcare is vital to our community in all aspects. It ties into education, it ties into us working. If we're not healthy or don't have the opportunity to access health care, we can't feed our families and improve ourselves and our community."
Noe said he wants to focus on making improvements to infrastructure and transportation in the city, while helping connect smaller communities in the East with the rest of the city. He also pointed to improving infrastructure on border bridges as a priority.
"The economy of our city is another big issue," Noe said in an interview. "We're the largest border city we have in the southern United States and a tremendous amount of goods pass through our bridges."
He also pointed to education as a key issue for lawmakers and said he is working to understand the topic better ahead of the election, due to the short turn around.
"I agree with (Pickett's) decision and I understand it, but it puts the person who fills his seat at this section at a little bit of a disadvantage," he said. "But given my experience in this area right now and in the past eight years, I am best suited to fill this seat."
For Fierro, working with other lawmakers in El Paso's statehouse delegation will be key to succeeding during the session.
"It is very important that whoever is elected to this position by the constituents of District 79 understands that, yes, it is a role that they will represent their district, but at the same time there is a delegation," he said. "I believe that as a whole, all of the members — and they've done a good job of it — they need to work together to focus and prioritize.
"For me, that is going to be the most vital part of whoever will be elected to this position," Fierro added.
Noe said he is happy to work with other lawmakers from the delegation, even if that means coming to a compromise on issues where they might disagree.
"I can't say I'll agree politically with any of them or any of them," Noe said, adding that he has a reputation on City Council of promoting common sense."Instead of just political fighting, I try to get something done. If that takes compromise, then so be it. But you've got to move forward. you can't just beat your head against each other and not move forward and get something done."
Pickett is one of six lawmakers who represent El Paso at the Texas Capitol — all of whom are Democrats. He serves alongside state Sen. José Rodríguez and state Reps. César Blanco, Mary González, Joe Moody and Lina Ortega.
Fierro said Pickett has been a strong representative for El Paso, which is evidenced by his 24-year tenure, but it's important now to look to the district's future.
"I don't want to skip a beat," Fierro said.
Blanco said it will be important for the district to have new representation as soon as possible, but that the other members of the delegation will be able to represent the city as a whole in the meantime.
“The rest of us are going to have to step up,” Blanco said in an interview Saturday. “All of our members are well positioned within the Legislature to continue to keep El Paso at the forefront.”
With Pickett's departure, Fierro said there will be a "vital vacuum" in the district that needs to be filled.
"Somebody very strong, with strong work ethic and who has the ability to bridge both sides of the aisle and both sides of the issue is going to need to fill that and continue the work of our delegation as a whole," he said. "I think I can do that."
Noe said he expects the race to get crowded, as is expected when there is an open seat, but he is confident in his abilities. He said he respects his only current opponent immensely.
"I've had a lot of dealings with him over the last eight years and I respect him and I respect his decision to run for this," Noe said. "I believe I am the most qualified candidate, obviously, but I'm not going to say anything disparaging about Art. I wish him luck."
Share this Article
