Political Career
In 1969, Luna unsuccessfully ran for Justice of the Peace in Bexar County. In 1982, he ran for the District 116 Texas House seat, losing to Joe A. Gamez in the Democratic Party primary election. In 1984, Luna sought the same House seat again, this time successfully. He represented San Antonio from 1985 to 1993 in the Texas House.
In 1992, when then-state Senator Frank Tejeda opted to make a run for U.S. Congress, Luna sought Tejeda's senate seat in District 19. He defeated the Republican challenger, auto dealer Ernesto Ancira for the four-year term.
A Democratic redistricting plan (which also altered district numbering) necessitated all state senators to run for reelection in 1994, and as a result, Luna faced an unsuccessful challenge from Republican Andrew Longaker for the remaining two years of his term, this time in District 26. In 1996, Luna again fended off a challenge from Longaker, this time for a four-year term.
Luna missed most of the regular session of the 76th Legislature due to ill health. He was ailing from complications related to diabetes, which eventually required the amputation of both his legs. Citing his ill health, Luna resigned his senate seat on 24 September 1999. Luna died peacefully after midnight 6 November 1999 at a hospice inpatient center in San Antonio, where he had been for three weeks. He was buried in the Texas State Cemetery on 9 November 1999.
Luna is honored by the Texas Senate Hispanic Research Council through the Senator Gregory Luna Legislative Scholar and Fellows Program which places college students with members of the Texas Senate to gain leadership experience.
Read more about this topic: Gregory Luna
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