The Parade of Oranges, presented by the Texas Citrus Fiesta, will include a familiar face leading the way.
State Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa (D-McAllen) will be acting as the parade marshal tomorrow, Jan. 25 at 3 p.m. A prominent figure in local and state politics, Hinojosa has been a member of the senate since 2003.
Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa
The Parade of Oranges will begin at Griffin Parkway and runs south on Conway Ave., ending at 1st Street. According to a press release from the city, the Mission Police Department will be closing all the streets along the parade route in phases, beginning at 9 a.m. until the end of the parade.
Hinojosa, who graduated from Mission High School and played for the Eagles football team as quarterback, is the eldest of eight children. When he graduated, he volunteered to serve for the United States Marine Corps.
He is a veteran of the Vietnam conflict, and returned home after serving to earn a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Texas Pan-American. He also earned his law degree from Georgetown University.
Hinojosa started his career as a staff attorney, and later became the Assistant Attorney General. In 1980 he started a private law firm in Hidalgo County.
He served in the Texas House of Representatives from 1981 to 1991, and then from 1997 to 2003. He was elected to the Texas Senate in 2003.
Hinojosa has passed landmark legislation and helped to secure vital funding for projects across South Texas, and is a well-known figure in the area. He has been named a “Top Ten Best Legislator” by Texas Monthly three times, and a “Top Ten Legislator” by Capitol Inside three times.
Hinojosa will be leading the TCF Parade of Oranges tomorrow.
This article originally appeared in the Friday Jan. 24, 2020 issue of the Progress Times.
