SAN MARCOS — On Friday, June 16, San Marcos-based attorney and Texas State University alumnus Chevo Pastrano announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination in the 45th Texas House district.

“I’m blessed with a great wife and son, a successful business and the chance to support initiative I care deeply about,” said Pastrano. “And, at this point in my life, I have an opportunity to get more involved in the community and give back to the people who supported me and helped me achieve my goals.”

A Kyle native and graduate of Jack C. Hays High School, Pastrano completed undergraduate studies at Texas State University before working his way through South Texas School of Law, passing the bar exam in 2002. Previously acknowledged by his peers as a Texas Super Lawyer “Rising Star,” Pastrano is an avid supporter of Texas State athletics, Kyle Blue Santa and serves on the Alumni Association Board of Directors for Texas State University.

“Hays County changed so much since I grew up here, but the sense of community and the small-town feel remains,” Pastrano said in a news release. “My entire life, we’ve been told to wait our turn. I think that now is our time. Being the first Hispanic to represent the 45th district in the history of Texas isn’t about what it means to me, but the message it sends to my son, Gino, and tens of thousands of people all over Hays County that they deserve a seat at the table — a shot at changing the future. The mindset that we need to be governed and let other people determine our futures is dated and wrong. Hays County has changed and our leadership needs to reflect those changes.”