Democratic state Sen. Tony Vargas: ‘I’ve always put Nebraskans first’

Tony Vargas begins each day like millions of other working dads with young kids — helping get them dressed, fed and off to school and day care.

The similarities largely end there.

A Democrat, Vargas is running for Congress, and as soon as he and his wife, Lauren, complete the morning ritual with Luca, 3, and Ava, 5, Vargas is drawn into the campaign vortex: knocking on doors, talking to voters, appearing at speaking engagements and tending to the seemingly zillions of other things that fill his daily quest for Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District House seat.

It’s his second run at unseating Republican Rep. Don Bacon, who is seeking a fifth term.

“I hit the campaign trail, always working to get to as many events in the district as possible and meet as many Nebraskans as I can. Hearing about the issues on voters’ minds and sharing my message with them is the core of this campaign,” Vargas said in an email interview with the Nebraska Independent.

Vargas, 40, says he is driven by the fact that he came within 3 percentage points of winning the 2022 race for the Omaha-centric district. This time around, the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics rates the Vargas-Bacon race a toss-up.

The specter of another term for Bacon fuels Vargas, he said.

“Don Bacon’s top priority is keeping his seat in Washington. That’s why, time and time again, he has caved to his party’s every extreme demand even when it hurts Nebraskans. From pushing a national abortion ban with no exceptions, to voting to raise taxes on middle class families, Bacon puts himself and his party ahead of Nebraska families,” Vargas said. “I’ve always put Nebraskans first, even bucking my own party to pass the two largest property tax cuts in state history. I’ve worked to invest in local law enforcement, strengthen public education, and expand access to health care. In Congress, I’ll continue to fight to help middle class families get ahead.”

Vargas was born in Queens, New York, the youngest of three sons of Antonio and Lidia Vargas, who came to the United States from Peru and worked blue-collar jobs to raise their family.

“My parents worked the factory lines when I was growing up and it was a good union job that lifted my family out of poverty and into the middle class,” Vargas said. “Now, as a dad and husband, I want nothing more than for my kids to have every opportunity to be happy and healthy.”

Vargas was the first of his family to graduate from college, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Rochester and a master’s degree in education at Pace University.

He taught elementary school science in Brooklyn and served two years as an AmeriCorps member with Teach for America. 

In New York, he met his future wife, Lauren, a special education teacher. They moved to Nebraska in 2012 after Lauren was accepted into law school at Creighton University in Omaha.

Vargas continued teaching in Omaha and was appointed to the Omaha Public Schools Board in 2013. He has been named a Presidential Leadership Scholar by the libraries of Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush,and Lyndon B. Johnson. 

He ran for the Nebraska Legislature in 2016, defeating former state Sen. John Synowiecki with nearly 62% of the vote to become the first elected Hispanic legislator in Nebraska. He was reelected in 2020 and has championed equity in education, juvenile justice, and college affordability, particularly for students from low-income backgrounds. He is now precluded from seeking another four years due to term limits.

In the end, Vargas says, his kids drive his desire to serve.

“Like many parents, I’m worried … about my daughter’s right to make her own health care decisions. I’m worried our democracy won’t survive another four years if Trump and Bacon are in office,” he said. “I know what families are going through and I want them to get ahead, just like my parents were able to. I want nothing more than for my kids to have every opportunity to be happy and healthy.”