Veronica Escobar celebrated victory and made history as she was elected El Paso’s first woman in Congress and the first Texas Latina in the U.S. House after winning the general election on Nov. 6.

She joined her watch party with a wide smile and began greeting and hugging the crowd at Later, Later in Downtown El Paso on Tuesday night. She was joined by her husband, two children, mother, and brother.

“You elected a Congress that is ready to get to work, a Congress that is ready to solve problems and not divide people. We are ready to get to work. I am ready to get to work for each and every one of you,” said Escobar during her speech.

Escobar boasted a triumphant smile throughout the celebratory speech that she gave to the crowd that formed within the bar.

The El Paso native Latina ran against Rick Seeberger, the Republican candidate, and Ben Mendoza. She beat her opponents with a total of 68.9% of the votes.

Escobar’s background demonstrated her involvement in the border city, serving the public of El Paso for close to 12 years. Before jumping into politics, Escobar was a faculty member of She was elected as a county commissioner for the El Paso County in 2006 and then proceeded to become the Sun City’s County Judge in 2010.

“I actually was going to leave politics…I was thinking about opening up a small business when my friend Beto O’Rourke decided to run for the Senate. I felt like we needed a very strong border voice to replace him, and I just felt the call. I felt very inspired by my fears of what the Trump administration was bringing, alongside my deep love for my community and the border,” Escobar told The Texas Observer earlier this year.

In 2017, she stepped down from her position as judge and began working on her political platform in order to take over Beto O’Rourke’s place in the House of Representatives as he ran for a spot in the U.S. Senate.

Veronica Escobar advanced as the Democratic candidate for Texas’ 16th Congressional District in the U.S. House after winning 61% of the vote during the primaries in March earlier this year During the primaries, easily defeating her opponent Dori Fenenbock.

“Veronica has been such a strong leader for our community as a County Judge and as a County Commissioner and I’m so excited for her to lend her voice to the U.S. Congress, particularly given this moment in our history when the border is under attack and the border communities and our families are under attack, that she’s able to be in the frontlines of that battle helping shape the debate and perspective on some of those narratives that are really harmful to our community,” said Escobar’s campaign manager Susie Byrd.

Sharing her standing as one of the first Texas Latina in Congress is Houston’s, Sylvia Garcia.

“I’m incredibly proud of my mother. I’m incredibly happy that all of her hard work paid off. I think that she has run an inspiring, positive, constructive campaign and I’m looking forward for seeing all the good things she does in Congress,” said Escobar’s son Cristian Diego.

“I want to give thanks, especially to the young people who stood in line to come out to vote. They are the ones who can change the future, they are the ones who have all of the power. I am very grateful for the support,” Escobar said.