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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 (Texas politician)|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>

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 (Texas politician)|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>