Before pursuing a college education, Blanco served in the U.S. Navy as a missile stinger gunner and military intelligence analyst.

[1] In February 2016, he was named Political Director of the Latino Victory Project, becoming the group's interim president later that year.

[7] In September 2019, State Senator Jose Rodriguez – a Democrat representing Texas's 29th District – announced that after 10 years in office he would not seek re-election in the upcoming 2020 election.

[9] In an interview with the El Paso Times, Blanco cited education, healthcare, and infrastructure as his top three priorities.

[11] Blanco serves on Senate Committee on Health & Human Services; Higher Education; Transportation; Veteran Affairs & Border Security.