Henry Bonilla (born January 2, 1954 in San Antonio, Texas) is a politician from the state of Texas.
Bonilla attended public school in San Antonio and then the University of Texas at Austin, graduating with a B.A. degree in journalism. Bonilla was a popular newscaster in San Antonio before entering politics.
In 1992, he won a seat in the House of Representatives as a Republican, representing Texas' 23rd district (map). The 23rd had been a Democratic district since its creation in 1967, but Bonilla charged three-term incumbent Albert Bustamante with neglecting his district's needs. Bonilla won by the largest margin of victory against an incumbent that year. He has compiled a very conservative voting record despite the fact that his district had a slight Democratic lean until 2004.
Largely because redistricting that created the 28th district left a heavily Republican section of San Antonio in the 23rd, Bonilla didn't face a credible challenge until 2002, when former Democratic Secretary of State Henry Cuellar came within 2 points of unseating him. Cuellar was priming for a rematch in 2004, but new redistricting moved most of Cuellar's hometown of Laredo to the 28th district. Bonilla won re-election by a 2-to-1 margin.
Bonilla has announced that he will likely run for the United States Senate seat currently held by Kay Bailey Hutchison in the event that she runs for Governor of Texas.
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