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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  

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", [[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>

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/>

Despite his visibility as a Laredo Republican, Guerra was never elected to the city council as a Republican because under Texas law all municipal offices are nonpartisan on the ballot. However, in 2002, several months after he had left the council, he ran as a Republican for the partisan office of county treasurer to succeed the late Billy Hall, a former state representative, but he lost the general election held on November , 2002. He was invited to lead the [[Pledge of Allegiance]] at a session of the [[Republican National Convention]] in [[Philadelphia]],  [[Pennsylvania]], which in 2000 nominated the [[George W. Bush|Bush]]-[[Dick Cheney|Cheney]] ticket. On October 5, 2000, Guerra was honored for his dedication to public service on the floor of the [[United States House of Representatives]] by then Representative Henry Bonilla.<ref name=obit>Joe A. Guerra obituary, ''Laredo Morning Times'', September 17, 2010, p. 11A.</ref> Guerra's convention role was highlighted the next day in a front-page photograph in the ''Laredo Morning Times''.<ref name=arambula>[[Odie Arambula]], "The Exxon Joe Guerra," ''Laredo Morning Times'', September 20, 2010, p. 4A.</ref>

Despite his visibility as a Laredo Republican, Guerra was never elected to the city council as a Republican because under Texas law all municipal offices are nonpartisan on the ballot. However, in 2002, several months after he had left the council, he ran as a Republican for the partisan office of county treasurer to succeed the late Billy Hall, a former state representative, but he lost the general election held on November 5, 2002. He was invited to lead the [[Pledge of Allegiance]] at a session of the [[Republican National Convention]] in [[Philadelphia]],  [[Pennsylvania]], which in 2000 nominated the [[George W. Bush|Bush]]-[[Dick Cheney|Cheney]] ticket. On October 5, 2000, Guerra was honored for his dedication to public service on the floor of the [[United States House of Representatives]] by then Representative Henry Bonilla.<ref name=obit>Joe A. Guerra obituary, ''Laredo Morning Times'', September 17, 2010, p. 11A.</ref> Guerra's convention role was highlighted the next day in a front-page photograph in the ''Laredo Morning Times''.<ref name=arambula>[[Odie Arambula]], "The Exxon Joe Guerra," ''Laredo Morning Times'', September 20, 2010, p. 4A.</ref>

His city council service corresponded with the tenure of each of four consecutive Laredo mayors, [[J. C. Martin, Jr.]], [[Aldo Tatangelo]], Saul N. Ramirez, Jr., and Betty Flores. The interstate loop, on which Flores and Guerra worked together, was finished while Guerra was still a council member.<ref name=zlindsey>Zach Lindsey, "Ex-City Councilman Joe Guerra, 76, dies," ''Laredo Morning Times'', September 16, 2010, pp. 1, 11A.</ref> Guerra was also a key supporter of Mayor Tatangelo's massive street-paving project, which began on an experimental basis in the San Ignacio neighborhood at Tatangelo's personal expense during the last Martin administration. Prior to the Tatangelo program, most of Laredo's streets were unpaved.<ref name=bonilla/><ref>[[Bill Moyers]], "You Can Beat City Hall:, ''CBS Reports'', April 1978.</ref>

His city council service corresponded with the tenure of each of four consecutive Laredo mayors, [[J. C. Martin, Jr.]], [[Aldo Tatangelo]], Saul N. Ramirez, Jr., and Betty Flores. The interstate loop, on which Flores and Guerra worked together, was finished while Guerra was still a council member.<ref name=zlindsey>Zach Lindsey, "Ex-City Councilman Joe Guerra, 76, dies," ''Laredo Morning Times'', September 16, 2010, pp. 1, 11A.</ref> Guerra was also a key supporter of Mayor Tatangelo's massive street-paving project, which began on an experimental basis in the San Ignacio neighborhood at Tatangelo's personal expense during the last Martin administration. Prior to the Tatangelo program, most of Laredo's streets were unpaved.<ref name=bonilla/><ref>[[Bill Moyers]], "You Can Beat City Hall:, ''CBS Reports'', April 1978.</ref>