COLLEGE STATION, Texas — College Station Councilwoman Elianor Vessali has announced she is running for Congress in TX-17. The councilwoman made the announcement Friday and posted it to her campaign's Facebook page.
Vessali is looking to replace Rep. Bill Flores, who announced he was retiring earlier this fall when his term is done.
Vessali was elected to College Station's city council in November of 2018 and has served on several committees, including the RELLIS External Advisory Council and the Brazos Valley Area Wide Communications System.
She is a graduate of Texas A&M and holds a B.S. in Biomedical Science, as well as a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) degree from the South Texas College of Law.
Vessali is a member of the Bryan Rotary Club and also serves as a Corps of Cadets Association Advisory Board Member. She has a long list of community service projects and boards she serves on.
"After serving you for the past year on College Station's City Council, I believe it's time we take our tested and true Texas values to a place that truly needs them: Washington," she posted on her Facebook page.
Former Texas Republican Congressman Pete Sessions, who lost his seat to Democrat Colin Allred in 2018 has also announced a run for Rep. Flores' seat. Texas politician Trent Sutton has also entered the race for TX-17.
Rep. Flores is one of six Texas Republicans not seeking re-election in 2020. Other congressmen include Pete Olson of TX-22, Mike Conaway of TX-11, Will Hurd of TX-23, Kenny Marchant of TX-24 and Mac Thornberry of TX-13.