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| religion=[[Roman Catholic]]

| religion=[[Roman Catholic]]

| alma_mater=Martin High School (Laredo, Texas)<br>

| alma_mater=Martin High School (Laredo, Texas)<br>

St. Mary's University in [[San Antonio]], Texas

St. Mary's University ([[San Antonio]], Texas)

|footnotes=

|footnotes=

}}

}}

'''Jose Antonio Guerra, Sr.''' (July 9, 1934 &ndash; September 15, 2010), known as '''Joe A. Guerra''', was a [[business]]man and a [[Republican Party|Republican]] political activist in the heavily [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] city of [[Laredo]], [[Texas]]. He served for twenty nonconsecutive years from two districts on the Laredo City Council,<ref name=kgns>{{cite web|url=http://www.pro8news.com/news/Joe-Guerra-passes-away-103005054.html|title=Former City Councilman and local businessman Joe Guerra passes awa|date=September 15, 2010|publisher=Pro8news.com|accessdate=September 18, 2010}}</ref> during which time he worked for the extension of Del Mar Boulevard to the interstate Loop 20, named for former Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock.

'''Jose Antonio Guerra, Sr.''' (July 9, 1934 &ndash; September 15, 2010), known as '''Joe A. Guerra''', was a [[business]]man and a [[Republican Party|Republican]] political activist in the heavily [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] city of [[Laredo]], [[Texas]]. He served for twenty nonconsecutive years from two districts on the Laredo City Council,<ref name=kgns>{{cite web|url=http://www.pro8news.com/news/Joe-Guerra-passes-away-103005054.html|title=Former City Councilman and local businessman Joe Guerra passes away|date=September 15, 2010|publisher=Pro8news.com|accessdate=September 18, 2010}}</ref> during which time he worked for the extension of Del Mar Boulevard to the interstate Loop 20, named for former Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock.

==Background==

==Background==

Guerra was born in Laredo to Jose Margarito Guerra (1904–2001) and the former Josefina Valls (1913–1998). He attended [[Roman Catholic]] elementary schools and graduated in 1953 from|Martin High Schoo]. In 1957, he graduated from[St. Mary's University in [[San Antonio]], with a Bachelor of Science]degree in [[chemistry]] and a minor in business.<ref name=bonilla/> He then joined the family enterprises, Laredo Motor Mart and Laredo Auto Parts. In 1972, Guerra opened a longstanding [[Exxon]] station (replaced by a convenience store in 2001) at the busy intersection of San Dario, the Interstate 35 service road, and Del Mar Boulevard. Thereafter, he began a second self-service station at the intersection of Guadalupe and Meadow in The Heights section of Laredo which he still managed at the time of his death.<ref name=obit/>

Guerra was born in Laredo to Jose Margarito Guerra (1904–2001) and the former Josefina Valls (1913–1998). He attended [[Roman Catholic]] elementary schools and graduated in 1953 from|Martin High Schoo]. In 1957, he graduated from[St. Mary's University in [[San Antonio]], with a Bachelor of Science degree in [[chemistry]] and a minor in business.<ref name=bonilla/> He then joined the family enterprises, Laredo Motor Mart and Laredo Auto Parts. In 1972, Guerra opened a longstanding [[Exxon]] station (replaced by a convenience store in 2001) at the busy intersection of San Dario, the Interstate 35 service road, and Del Mar Boulevard. Thereafter, he began a second self-service station at the intersection of Guadalupe and Meadow in The Heights section of Laredo which he still managed at the time of his death.<ref name=obit/>

==Political career==

==Political career==

In 1964, Guerra joined the Republican Party. In 1978, he was the Webb County chairman of the [[Bill Clements]] [[Governor|gubernatorial]] campaign, when the Republican nominee, the first of his party to be elected governor since 1869, defeated the Democrat John Luke Hill, the former state attorney general, to claim the state's top constitutional office. He supported [[George Herbert Walker Bush]] for [[U.S. President]] in 1988 and 1992. Guerra later worked to elect [[George W. Bush]] as governor and [[U.S. President]]. He also campaigned for the former Republican [[U.S. Representative]] for  House District 23, Henry Bonilla, then of San  

In 1964, Guerra joined the Republican Party. In 1978, he was the Webb County chairman for the [[Bill Clements]] [[Governor|gubernatorial]] campaign, when the Republican nominee, the first of his party to be elected governor since 1869, defeated the Democrat John Luke Hill, the former state attorney general, to claim the state's top constitutional office. He supported [[George Herbert Walker Bush]] for [[U.S. President]] in 1988 and 1992. Guerra later worked to elect [[George W. Bush]] as governor and [[U.S. President]]. He also campaigned for the former Republican [[U.S. Representative]] for  House District 23, Henry Bonilla, then of San  

Antonio,<ref name=bonilla>Henry Bonilla, "In Honor of Mr. Joe A. Guerra", 'The Congressional Record'', October 5, 2000.</ref> who served as the Laredo-area representative from 1993 to 2007, having never carried Webb County a single time in seven elections.<ref>Texas Secretary of State,  Texas congressional election returns, 1992-2004.</ref>

Antonio,<ref name=bonilla>Henry Bonilla, "In Honor of Mr. Joe A. Guerra", [[Congressional record|''The Congressional Record]]'', October 5, 2000.</ref> who served as the Laredo-area representative from 1993 to 2007, having never carried Webb County a single time in seven elections.<ref>Texas Secretary of State,  Texas congressional election returns, 1992-2004.</ref>

Guerra's city council service spanned two types of municipal government in Laredo. Effective with the 1982 elections, when Guerra did not seek reelection, the city changed from mayor-council government to the city manager format. He joined the council in 1970 from the downtown District 4 and served twelve consecutive years. His last two terms were in the Del Mar District 6 from 1994-2002.<ref>Confirmed by the Laredo city secretary</ref> In his last term he was the dean of the council and the mayor pro tempore. He served on a city/county government consolidation plan, but the two entities have remained separate and not been merged.<ref name=bonilla/>

Guerra's city council service spanned two types of municipal government in Laredo. Effective with the 1982 elections, when Guerra did not seek reelection, the city changed from mayor-council government to the city manager format. He joined the council in 1970 from the downtown District 4 and served twelve consecutive years. His last two terms were in the Del Mar District 6 from 1994-2002.<ref>Confirmed by the Laredo city secretary</ref> In his last term he was the dean of the council and the mayor pro tempore. He served on a city/county government consolidation plan, but the two entities have remained separate and not been merged.<ref name=bonilla/>