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Brownsville Attorney Gilberto Hinojosa has held important positions in the Rio Grande Valley.

He’s served as Cameron County Judge and most recently Cameron County Democratic Party Chair.

Now, after months of campaigning through more than 75 counties throughout Texas, Hinojosa is the State Democratic Party Chair.

He’s the first Hispanic to be elected to the post.

The state chair said one of his first goals is to change the misconceptions about democrats.

"What they've tried to do is tried to represent us as being a party that’s anti-gun, anti-God and pro-gay, as opposed to what we really are,” Hinojosa said.

He said the democratic party represents the average family, and is pushing for more, not less, funds in public education and health care. He said the democratic party can only accomplish these goals with the support of voters, Hispanics included.

"The biggest inheritance you can leave your children is a good education,” Hinojosa said. “(When) public education funds are getting cut by $5 billion, the largest cut in U.S. history...then families need to understand that the failure to participate in the electoral process is affecting this inheritance."

There are several challenges the democratic party faces, according to Hinojosa, who claims the republican party is making things even more difficult for voters to make their voice count, noting things like the recent redistricting plans which he calls discriminatory.

"Clearly there is an effort to make it more difficult for people to vote,” Hinojosa said. “The irony is the people they are preventing from voting, are the same people whose sons and daughters are fighting for our freedom in Afghanistan today."