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With their bags packed and ready to cheer for their candidates, 60 Rio Grande Valley democrats boarded a bus in Harlingen headed for San Antonio.

The supporters got a the free ride plus a free ticket to a fundraiser for President Barack Obama.
           
Filemon Vela, democratic congressional candidate for District 34, sponsored the trip and the $250 per-person fundraiser ticket, for the Valley group and another 90 supporters in counties throughout the district he hopes to represent.
           
Vela said he wants Valley voters to be present for the president’s last visit to Texas before the General Election in November.

“(Obama’s) platform of creating jobs through the recent transportation bill, is going to be very helpful to our economy and to this community,” Vela said. “I think the recent passage of the healthcare act is going to provide medical benefits to many people who deserve it."
           
The trip comes just two weeks shy of the July 31 run-off, where Vela faces Denise Saenz Blanchard.
           
Voters will decide which democratic candidate will take on the republican nominee for the District 34 seat – and it's no surprise which issues voters are hoping Vela will tackle if elected to office.

"They vowed to protect our rights as seniors, Medicare, Social Security - the things that are important to us,” Paulo Santos, a Vela and Obama supporter said. “And not only that, they (also) promised to keep it for our grandkids, which is what I’m looking forward to."

"He can bring jobs for the Port of Brownsville and he can help us for the Medicare and Medicaid for the poor people," Tina Garcia added.

Brownsville City Commissioner Melissa Zamora also made the trip to San Antonio to support both Vela and the president. She's hoping to hear solutions to the education budget cut problems.

"I don’t like to hear of our school officials complain about having to let go of staff, or having to ask individuals for early retirement, or having to cut back transportation budget,” Zamora said. “You don’t like to hear about those things because you want more opportunities for your children."