Newly elected District 27 State Senator Morgan LaMantia took her oath of office Friday at the Cameron County Courthouse today.

The Democrat will take over the seat once held by longtime Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr.

District 27 covers Cameron and Willacy counties and parts of Hidalgo County.

“We want to make healthcare more accessible and more affordable and do what we can to push for the expansion of Medicaid,” LaMantia said. “We want to make sure that education is available to everyone that is of high quality, and that we pay teachers what they deserve."

The current state legislative session is underway.

LaMantia said she supports a recently filed bill that would increase teacher salaries by $15,000.

If approved, it would be the biggest pay raise in state history.