Forgoing LGBTQ Issues, Owner of San Antonio’s Pegasus Club Wins GOP Runoff for U.S. House Seat
- Mauro Garza for Congress
- Mauro E. Garza (Photo via
Mauro E. Garza, the owner of the Pegasus Nightclub, which is located on the Main Avenue Strip, has won the Republican run off beating opponent Mike Allen in the race for the 20th Congressional District with more than 60% of the votes.
In the November election, Garza will face Democratic incumbent Joaquin Castro, who is widely expected to win the race.
The 20th district encompasses western San Antonio and Bexar County.
In an election day post on Twitter, Garza said, “I am running to defend my constituents from the widespread attack on constitutional rights and conservative values pervasive throughout our political establishment. Let’s nurture and protect American greatness.”
This is not Garza’s first run for a Congressional seat. In 2018, he was one of 18 Republicans vying to succeed Lamar S. Smith, R-San Antonio, in the 21st Congressional District. He came in 15th in that race.
Garza’s candidacy at that time sparked a backlash within San Antonio’s LGBTQ community with many commenting on social media that it was a betrayal of Pegasus customers. As one Facebook post put it, “Hey everybody, here are your Sunday Funday dollars at work.”
Despite being a gay man, Garza made no mention of LGBTQ issues in his 2018 campaign. On his Facebook page he said did not wish to “force Americans to understand our [gay] culture and various subcultures or even to accept them” but to allow LGBTQ people “to exercise our freedoms within the parameters of the laws in this great nation.”
Since that time, Garza has continually posted pro-Trump propaganda on Facebook. The backlash against his ideology has grown within the LGBTQ Community, enough to have spawned a Facebook group, Protest the Peg, and a boycott (#BoycottPegasus) of Garza’s bar.
On June 23, Garza issued a public letter, addressed to San Antonio Family Action and Texas Family Action, in which he wrote: “I am in complete support of the Texas Republican Platform especially those issues . . . which directly impact Texas Families . . .” including “Celebrating Traditional Marriage.”
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