Anthony Vargas (born September 2, 1984) is an American politician and former educator serving as a member of the Nebraska Legislature. Vargas represents the 7th district, which covers all of downtown Omaha and much of southeastern Omaha.
Tony Vargas
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Vice Chair of the Executive Board of the Nebraska Legislature | |
In office January 9, 2019 – January 4, 2023 | |
Preceded by | John Kuehn |
Succeeded by | Ray Aguilar |
Member of the Nebraska Legislature from the 7th district | |
Assumed office January 4, 2017 | |
Preceded by | Nicole Fox |
Personal details | |
Born | Anthony Vargas (1984-09-02) September 2, 1984 (age 39) New York City, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse |
Lauren Micek (m. 2016) |
Children | 2 |
Education | University of Rochester (BA) Pace University (MS) |
Website | Campaign website |
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Vargas was born to Antonio and Lidia Vargas in Queens, New York City, who were originally from Peru. He was the youngest of three brothers.[1] He graduated from the University of Rochester and received a Master of Science in education from Pace University.
Vargas is a former public school teacher. He also served as an AmeriCorps fellow through Teach for America.[2] Vargas was appointed to the Omaha Public Schools Board in 2013, following the resignation of a board member.[3]
In 2016 he ran for the Legislature against incumbent senator Nicole Fox. Fox, a Republican, finished third in the nonpartisan primary, which saw Vargas and former senator John Synowiecki advance to the general election.[4][5][6][7][8] Vargas defeated Synowiecki in the general election with nearly 62% of the vote. He is the first outright elected Hispanic legislator in Nebraska.[9]
Vargas has served on the Appropriations Committee since 2017.[10] In 2019, Vargas was elected by his peers, in a contested race, to the position of Vice Chair of the executive board, the nine member executive arm of the Legislature. In 2021, Vargas was re-elected by his peers to the position of Vice Chair of the executive board.[11] He currently serves as the chair of the Legislature's Planning Committee, the long-term strategic planning committee for the Nebraska Legislature.[12]
On July 29, 2020, Vargas attempted to suspend the Nebraska legislature's regular rules of order to introduce a bill that would enforce Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines in meatpacking plants to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The motion failed to pass.[13]
In July 2021, Vargas announced his candidacy for Nebraska's 2nd congressional district in the 2022 election.[14] He won the Democratic primary on May 10, 2022, but lost the general election to Republican incumbent Don Bacon in November by 2.6% (5,856 votes).[15]
In July 2023, Vargas announced his candidacy for Nebraska's 2nd congressional district in the 2024 election.[16]
Vargas is married to his wife Lauren. He is a Catholic and resides in South Omaha, Nebraska. He has two children.[17]
His father, Virgilio Antonio Vargas, died on April 29, 2020, from COVID-19 at the beginning of the global pandemic.[18]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Tony Vargas | 1,220 | 45.35 | |
Nonpartisan | John Synowiecki | 745 | 27.70 | |
Republican | Nicole Fox (incumbent) | 725 | 26.95 | |
Total votes | 2,690 | 100.00 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Tony Vargas | 5,244 | 61.75 | |
Nonpartisan | John Synowiecki | 3,248 | 38.25 | |
Total votes | 8,492 | 100.00 |
Primary election | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
Democratic | Tony Vargas (incumbent) | 3,281 | 81.8 | |
Republican | Jorge Sotolongo | 731 | 18.1 | |
Total votes | 100.0 | |||
General election | ||||
Democratic | Tony Vargas (incumbent) | 7,386 | 77.9 | |
Republican | Jorge Sotolongo | 2,098 | 22.1 | |
Total votes | 100.0 | |||
Democratic hold |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Don Bacon (incumbent) | 112,663 | 51.3 | |
Democratic | Tony Vargas | 106,807 | 48.6 | |
Total votes | 219,470 | 100.0 | ||
Republican hold |
Nebraska Legislature | ||
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Preceded by | Vice Chair of the Executive Board of the Nebraska Legislature 2019–2023 |
Succeeded by |