Two island residents are running for statewide office. Running for Texas Senate District 27, after being held by Eddie Lucio Jr.(D) since 1991, is South Padre Island resident Morgan LaMantia. LaMantia is the second oldest of five in her family from McAllen. LaMantia began making strides in her community after obtaining her degree at the University of Texas and a law degree from St. Mary’s University. Upon graduating from St. Mary’s, LaMantia accepted an offer to work in a firm in Brownsville, until moving back to McAllen to be in-house counsel for her family’s business.
After a couple of years, LaMantia found her way back to the island in 2021, staying where her family established roots back in the ’70s. The LaMantia family discovered the island decades ago when Morgan’s grandfather, Joe LaMantia, partnered with a couple of individuals to get a lot together. They ended up building a three-unit condo.
The LaMantia Business
L&F Distributors was originally stood for Longoria and Farias until LaMantia’s grandfather bought out Longoria. Soon L&F became LaMantia and Farias until again LaMantia’s grandfather bought out Farias and rebranded as LaMantia and Family as L&F. When her grandfather chose to go with F standing for family, he also meant employees. “He always said that the family part is not just us kids and grandkids, but it included our employees as well. We knew that it was going take everyone’s help to grow the business, because it started quite small.”
L&F Distributors distribute beverages like beer, wine, liquor, Red Bull, water, Nesquik. Over time L&F Distributors established 13 warehouses throughout Texas and New Mexico and joined the beer business in the early 90s.
Experience
LaMantia’s love for helping communities drove her to seek out opportunities that prepared her for public service. She was a lobbyist for the railroad commission, and interned with a federal judge. “I just wanted to understand every part of the government in different aspects and how it worked.”
LaMantia’s Three Whys
LaMantia’s focuses are healthcare, education, and small businesses.
Healthcare
After becoming counsel for her family’s business, LaMantia never thought she would get back into politics, especially as a politician. “I just had a passion for it. I think that’s what led me into law.”
Even as in-house counsel, LaMantia started noticing many of their staff who couldn’t afford healthcare. The dilemma, she says, is scheduling an appointment to see a doctor for 15 minutes and the associated expense. “So, we brought a doctor in-house and covered the cost of the employees, so they didn’t have to clock out. We covered the cost of prescriptions.”
As a result, there was a difference in the health from the employees, which LaMantia accredits frequent doctor visits. “Preventative medicine costs less than emergency medicine later on.” Soon the business expanded from employee healthcare clinics to having annual health fairs, bringing in family members, and opening it up to everybody to come in and talk to doctors and nutritionists.
When LaMantia built the plan for the company, she realized how difficult and broken the healthcare system is. “I had to do this inside a private company with our employees, but the average person, how can they understand and work within this broken system?”
Education
Growing up, the LaMantia’s taught their children the importance of education, and saw education as a great equalizer. For 20 years, her grandfather funded a scholarship program called ‘Stars,’ and since then, the program put college in reach for over 17,000 students throughout the communities. Giving back to the community is a family value and responsibility to LaMantia. After the Senate seat opened, she decided that this was her opportunity.
Small Business
Starting as a small business, LaMantia recognizes that L&F Distributors would not be where it is today without the community. Intending to nurture small businesses, LaMantia plans to help other small businesses grow.
The first thing LaMantia plans to do if elected is to build relationships with her colleagues and start looking at and talking to other people in our communities and locals. “Just really making sure that we (her team) understand what the priorities are and where we need to push and just start working towards those goals.”
Changing the community doesn’t have to start with an election. Instead, change can begin by seeing what needs to be fixed in the community and talking about it. “Talk to those people in your community who have the same issues. Talk to others that have been through it. Then talk to others who have held a position that you trust. That’s what I did.”
LaMantia likes to spend time with her family, read, and travel in her free time. As an alternative to traveling due to the pandemic, she journeys into parts of the Valley where she’s never been. She is always a hunt for ‘pulgas’ (flea markets), meeting small business entrepreneurs, and finding the best ‘elotes’ (street corn). “Anytime there’s a pop-up shop or market days, I love going there and just meeting all these different vendors and finding these cool discoveries. I just think it’s amazing what so many people here in the Valley are doing.”
In the end, LaMantia explained all the issues she cares about comes down to families. “Without healthcare, education, and businesses, we won’t have those strong families.” For the future, LaMantia encourages the community to help each other, because issues can be similar in different communities. “The only way we’re going to get this done is to work together.”
