(Courtesy Mary Gonzalez)

Mary Gonzalez told them she was the best candidate to represent them and El Paso voters agreed, but along the way, the 28-year-old doctoral student at the University of Texas at Austin broke her share of barriers.

“It’s an honor to have broken so many glass ceilings – as not only being openly gay but also the first woman to get this position in my district,” says Gonzalez, who won the state Democratic primary race to fill House district 75 and will win the seat because she has no Republican opponent.

“But it’s important to note that we didn’t run this race as ‘I’m the gay candidate’ or the ‘woman candidate’ but as ‘I’m the best candidate.’ It’s very difficult to speak to voters about my sexuality when there are people who don’t have water in their neighborhood,”she adds.

Gonzalez refers to the 290 “colonias” in El Paso, many of which are in her district. These colonias are unincorporated communities which are not part of municipalities and lack some basic infrastructure.

Gonzalez – whose district is 89 percent Latino – ran on the issues of education, infrastructure and economic development, saying that she personally knocked on 3,000 doors and her campaign knocked on 11,000 doors.

She believes there has been a marked shift on views of both LGBT people and issues.

“Even looking at the president’s recent announcement on marriage equality – it’s an indicator of a shift on views of the LGBT community,” she says. “People don’t want to be distracted by political issues when their child’s school has 46 kids and one teacher in the classroom. That takes precedence.”

Her family has lived in the El Paso area for a long-time but she also has family from Juarez. “My abuelita was born in Juarez and my great grandmother, who is 101, still lives there.”

Gonzalez says that she felt some pushback while running, not only because she’s openly gay, but also because she’s a woman and because she is young. Nonetheless, she says she has the experience to succeed in her new role.

“I was a farm girl,” she says. “When you grow up on a farm you’re really hardworking. I went to school and worked at the Capitol for three legislative sessions.”

Gonzalez isn’t worried about finishing her degree while working for her new constituents.

“I’m enrolled in summer school,” Gonzalez says.

“I’m determined to finish my degree. I like to say that at the end of my term I will be Representative Gonzalez and Dr. Gonzalez.”

ADRIAN CARRASQUILLO

Like NBC Latino on Facebook.

Follow @NBCLatino on Twitter.