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female mayor of a major
American city along the United States' border with Mexico. Cross-border issues became a major concern for Flores, and she gained media attention when she suggested that border patrol agents should give illegal immigrants "a bottle of water and send them on their way." Laredo
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When Flores was first married, she and her husband agreed that they could work in any field they wanted, except for politics. By the time she ran for mayor, however, both independently thought it was a good idea. As others, all men, began to announce their candidacies for mayor, she thought several
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Flores met her husband, Antonio "Tony" Flores, after a local newspaper ran a photograph of her when she was 15 and he was 18. The couple married when she was 17 and he was 20. They had two children before her 20th birthday. Early in their marriage, when Flores first went to work outside the house,
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to work as a secretary. Over a 28 year career, worked her way up to become the first female senior vice president in the bank's history. Much of her time at the bank was spent in business development, during which she made a large number of contacts in the Laredo community. She eventually ran the
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about a potential run. Richards gave Flores advice and then her endorsement. Eight others would eventually throw their hats into the ring. She won her first term in a special runoff election in early 1998, winning 55.39% of the voted. She won a full four year term in the May 1998 election.
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Flores has a younger sister, Edna Garcia. Her father, Eloy Garcia Sr., was a local official in Laredo who used his connections to help Flores become mayor. On election night, he wrote an ambulance to the victory party and died a week after she was sworn into office.
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In the 9th grade, she punched a classmate in the nose after he bemoaned Flores' victory in the election for class president. Flores dropped out of high school two credits shy of graduation. She later completed her diploma.
152:. While working at Aztec, a nonprofit that buildings housing for people with low incomes, that she began to grow interested in local politics. Flores also worked as a county affordable-housing officer and as a
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GarcĂa, Sonia R.; Martinez-Ebers, Valerie; Irasema, Coronado; Navarro, Sharon A.; Jaramillo, Patricia A. (June 3, 2009).
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Her 19 year old son, Tony Jr., was killed in 1986 by a drunk driver. Following his death, she joined
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in 1994, Laredo became one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the country.
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132:. She was the first Latina woman to be mayor in Laredo's 240 year history.
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Latina
Legislator: Leticia Van de Putte and the Road to Leadership
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were of questionable character. Flores spoke with then-Governor
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Acosta, Teresa Palomo; Winegarten, Ruthe (January 1, 2010).
322:"Female Mayor Steers Her City Through Texas' Macho Culture"
124:(born December 28, 1944) is an American banker and former
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Aztec
Economic Development and Preservation Corporation
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After leaving the bank, Flores went to work for the
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537:Hispanic and Latino American women in politics
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527:Hispanic and Latino American mayors in Texas
222:Tony was upset and refused to speak to her.
482:PolĂticas: Latina Public Officials in Texas
361:. University of Texas Press. p. 255.
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117:Kay Bailey Hutchison and Betty Flores
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320:Stack, Megan K (December 10, 2000).
196:North American Free Trade Agreement
173:at the 1997 National Conference of
457:. Texas A&M University Press.
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358:Las Tejanas: 300 Years of History
229:and spoke to students as part of
16:American banker and former mayor
140:Flores was originally hired by
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485:. University of Texas Press.
227:Mothers Against Drunk Driving
451:Navarro, Sharon Ann (2008).
552:21st-century American women
122:Elizabeth G. "Betty" Flores
26:Elizabeth G. "Betty" Flores
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237:. She is a grandmother.
547:Mayors of Laredo, Texas
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326:The Los Angeles Times
190:sits at the start of
181:Flores was the first
158:Federal Reserve Board
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142:Laredo National Bank
61:Saul N. Ramirez, Jr.
233:, a program run by
435:GarcĂa et al. 2009
396:GarcĂa et al. 2009
231:Texas War on Drugs
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492:978-0-292-77998-3
464:978-1-60344-062-2
368:978-0-292-78448-2
154:consumer advocate
145:loan department.
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23:The Honorable
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420:Navarro 2008
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68:Succeeded by
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517:1944 births
445:Works cited
56:Preceded by
511:Categories
241:References
235:Ross Perot
102:Democratic
201:She is a
50:1998–2006
46:In office
36:Mayor of
203:Democrat
156:for the
498:June 6,
470:June 6,
374:June 6,
335:June 6,
175:La Raza
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187:Tejana
136:Career
126:mayor
500:2020
487:ISBN
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459:ISBN
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363:ISBN
337:2020
185:and
88:Born
128:of
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