Former Congressman's Son Mulls Challenging Farenthold

Besides Luján, Ortiz has discussed a possible run with his father.

"He was the guy here in South Texas who broke down barriers," the younger Ortiz said of his father. "He knows what it takes to be an effective member of Congress,"

And the topic has come up in conversations with some Texas House colleagues: U.S. Reps. Marc Veasey of Fort Worth and Joaquin Castro of San Antonio.

The elder Ortiz's loss to Farenthold in the 2010 Republican wave election was particularly bitter for Democrats. National Democratic operatives assumed Ortiz was in a safe Democratic seat, but Farenthold defeated him by 775 votes.