PLEASANTON, Texas – KSAT is spotlighting the concerns of people across different South Texas towns ahead of the presidential election in the new series, “Your Voice, South Texas.”
This week’s episode takes us to Pleasanton, a city 30 miles south of San Antonio, known as the birthplace of the cowboy.
Watch the full episode in the video player above.
We spoke with people at Don Jesus Restaurante on Third Street. Many people there said Pleasanton doesn’t get much attention from the media, so they were excited to share their thoughts ahead of the November election.
“A lot of these people are, you know, they’re veterans...a lot of people are retired...they like the same thing, the same routine,” restaurant owner Jesus Angel said.
Greg Poth, a 77-year-old semi-retired plumber, is worried about jobs for future generations. He thinks more young people should embrace trade work and become plumbers and electricians.
“I’ve been a plumber my whole life. You can’t hire anybody. Nobody wants to do that kind of work anymore,” Poth said.
Poth has a point.
The labor department said that from 2018 to 2028, the demand for plumbers is expected to grow by 14%. However, fewer young people are learning the trade.
Poth told us he’s going to vote for Republican Donald Trump.
Poth is friends with Jerry Lee Gonzales, 82, who served in the U.S. Navy and is a retired nurse. The two have very different political views.
“I was brought up...to be [loyal] to the United States. And I see a lot of division now and I don’t like it. And, one particular side is separating us more and more. And, that’s not right. We can have differences, but the one thing that counts here is our loyalty to the country,” Gonzales said.
Pleasanton is located in Atascosa County, which has gotten more conservative in each election cycle.